Marching the talk

     There seems to be more and better theology of compassion and justice on Facebook than in many Christian churches these days.  No wonder people aren’t interested in church these days.  Seriously?  Between Westboro Baptist, which may have single-handedly damaged the Christian “brand” for decades to come, misconduct and abuse and coverup, bills introduced to require Christian prayers in schools, the church’s gigantic history of intolerance, racism, and providing theological cover for ugly human behavior, and such off-the-wall weirdness as this week’s headlines that a snake-handling celebrity pastor died of a rattlesnake bite, what is anyone under 40 supposed to think about the church?  It’s hard to overcome that kind of self-inflicted damage to our reputation.

     However, over the millennia, despite ourselves sometimes, the thing that keeps the faith going has been the care and compassion most Christians have for others.  At our best it is care and compassion for everyone in the world, not a subset.  If you are not locked into that care and compassion only occurring through the institutional church but welcome any expression of the Spirit of Christ by any other name, there is cause for hope.

     In the last month or two, there has been an upswelling of words and actions decrying and working against racial violence, against sexual violence, supporting workers’ wellbeing, addressing income disparity, against predatory lending practices, seeking a healthy relationship between faith and science, encouraging better behavior from governments for their own citizens, for human rights of all sorts, for tolerance, and for a genuine improvement in everyone’s lives. I’ve seen a Sojourners article discussing our American tendency to read the Bible from a more self-centered, often self-serving social darwinism perspective instead of reading its clear call to justice, equity, and compassion for all.

     Then there was David Brooks’ New York Times opinion piece about how we are so often like the older brother in the parable of the prodigal son, self-righteous and dismissive.  He likens much of our public policy as self-righteously lecturing the poor instead of looking out for them as siblings in society.  Mind you, he was talking about public policy.  Using one of Jesus’ parables.  Breaking it out of its church captivity as if it shed light on our decisions and attitudes right now.  Which, for Christians, it certainly should.

     Other outside-the-church reminders of our wider obligations include a really great t-shirt with “Love your neighbor.  Thy Homeless Neighbor. Thy Muslim Neighbor. Thy Black Neighbor. Thy Gay Neighbor. Thy White Neighbor. Thy Jewish Neighbor. Thy Christian Neighbor. Thy Atheist Neighbor. Thy Racist Neighbor. Thy Addicted Neighbor.”  The list of neighbors fills the back of the shirt.  A longer— much longer— list should fill our hearts.  And our churches.  And the world.

     The UCC is suggesting we “March Forth on March 4th” for justice, whether through advocacy at the local or neighborhood or the national level or by actually doing something to improve the world.  Obviously, you could go to http://www.ucc.org/marchforth/ and check it out, or you can just march following your own lights in the middle of what you normally do.  But the point is to go beyond talking to doing something.  And March 4th seems like a good starting point!

     Finally, here’s a quote from author Sue Fitzmaurice: “Stop being offended by what someone said to you, that Facebook post, by a piece of art, by people displaying their affection.  Be offended by war, poverty, injustice.”  That’s good advice for people in and out of “the church.”  Be compassionate.  Care.  March.  Love.


                                                                                 In Christ,
                                                                               
                                                                                    David

 A quick reminder that we are leading worship this Sunday afternoon at Longview at 2 pm.  I’m encouraging as many of you as possible to join us at our “adjunct worship” there!


Texts For Sunday Worship: 
      From the Hebrew Bible     Leviticus 19:1-2, 9-18
      From the Epistles            1 Corinthians 3:10-11, 16-23
      From the Gospels            Matthew 5:38-48