You can Love your Enemies and Stop them from Terrorizing the Poor, Immigrants, Trans Kids, and Canadians, etc.

Luke 6:27-38

I am normally a huge fan of The Gospel According to Luke's expectation reversing motif. The last shall be first. If someone hits you, turn the other cheek. If you see someone in need, you must help them even if your society would say no. I think these are some of the values that Jesus calls us to uphold that makes us the best people we can be. This week's reversal of expectations is a little harder given the world that we are all living in right now.

"But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.”

To list all of the lawless and immoral behavior we are seeing in this moment would be longer than the passage above, but let's focus on just three. We are in the midst of a time of where our country is refusing to help its neighbors in need of food and medicine, terrifying it's neighbors who have come to our country for opportunity and aid, and abandoning it's neighbors who are under attack from hostile foreign powers. We have abdicated our responsibilities to care for our world community in exchange for the hope to shake down anyone around us for what we can get. In short, we have lost any sense of Christian morality as a nation and become a state run by thugs for profit. You could argue that, things have been going this way for a while, but never have things be quite so surface level. Just this week our new "Border Czar" announced his corrupt bargain with the mayor of New York City on live television. It's just there to see on the surface.

And yet, in the midst of all this we are called to love our enemies. We are called not to judge or condemn. What does that look like?

Down the road from my house there is a small church with one of those signs that you can put different messages up on. This week their sign says, "We are called to be witnesses, not judges or lawyers." As a man with a wife who is an attorney who feels a passionate call from God to advocate for the poor and needy, I felt personally miffed when I saw it, but for the purposes of this discussion it's a useful image. This passage is all about how we, as followers of Jesus should treat people. It is not saying that we shouldn't judge anything ever. We are not called to be passive observers of the world around us, despite how much easier life would be if that were so. We are called to act!

Jesus called his followers to feed the 5000. Jesus applauded the man who helped another man of a different nation. And similarly, Jesus said that people were healed "because of their faith" or condemned because of their unwillingness to share their wealth. It is actions that Jesus is concerned with. What you do or don't do. We are called to not judge people. I can't tell what is in your heart, but I can see if you are actively trying to harm someone. Jesus does not call us to remain silent in the face of violence or active harm. We can not look upon evil actions and say, "Well, I probably should not judge this." We can love the people who would see us as enemies, and still hold them to account for their actions. And, yes, from time to time holding them to account will require both lawyers and judges.

"Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven”

I'm sure that most of you have at lease one person in your life who thinks that what is going on right now is great. Your "unchecked move toward fascism" is their "making America great again." It can be a natural instinct to do one of two things. You might either avoid them all together, or you might simply avoid discussing any current events with them. In most cases, these are unhelpful approaches.

I stress first and foremost that this is an "if you feel safe" recommendation. You can judge in your own life whether you feel safe having these conversations or any conversations at all with these people, but going forward I am assuming that you feel safe enough to talk to these people.

If you simply avoid them entirely, then it affirms their views that people like you don't "get it" and your judgement on them only pushes them farther down the path of anger and loathing that opens one up to fascist ideology in the first place. If you avoid the conversation, then the absence of your voice is a best replaced by the voices of others that affirm their views. At worst, it is considered consent to all this.

Instead, I think it is most useful to come to people with love first. This is very simplified, but I think it is the sentiment that works best: "I love you no matter what, but I am called to love others as well. Jesus calls you to do the same. Because of that calling, I must serve the poor and prevent injustice." This is not me saying that this will work, but it is the best you can do.

1. Remind them they are loved.

2. Remind them they are called to love.

3. Lead by example with your commitment to serve those in need.

Why do I think this is the best thing you can do? Because it is hard to change hearts, and it is important to do the work. The most important step is step three. Do the work. At best your family member or friend has their understanding shifted, but at worst, you are still doing the work. The work must be done.

This passage calls us to offer forgiveness as our default setting. Your loved one may have bought into some truly rotten ideas in the last few years, but they are still made in the image of God, and they are still welcome to repent and come home.

As for those committing these governmental atrocities, it is important to remember that they are made in the image of God just like us. Just like us, they need to be called to account when their actions harm others. We do not need to judge them as people to judge that their actions are cruel and often illegal. We need to do the work to keep each other safe in the midst of all this injustice. That may happen in court or in the court of public opinion, but we cannot be silent, just because we are supposed to love our enemies. Just like when you love a screaming toddler, you are still required to make them stop.