Wednesday 9 November 2016

That Which We Call a Rose

Obviously, today is a hard day. A bad man has been elected president, and all America seems to be reeling in shock. Except, this cannot be the case, for there are many, many Americans who are celebrating now. How can this be? How can it be that the name I call myself, an American, is the same name used to identify those who hate me for being what I am?

What's in a name?

This election has made the truth seeking part of me so happy, because it feels like now that our dirty laundry has been tossed into the street for everyone to see, we can start to sort it out and maybe, someday, it'll all be clean. But another part of me knows that for dirty laundry to become clean, one has to be able to differentiate between what is laundry and what is dirt.

I am a Christian. This is another complicated word today, because, somehow, the new president-elect claims participation in this ancient faith, and I have been horrified by everything that he has said and done and promised to do.

What's in a name?

I am proud to be a Christian. I am proud to follow the life and teachings of Jesus; I believe that he lived, and died, and rose from the dead. I believe that he is coming again. I believe he is our true Deliverer. I believe that he is good. I believe that he loves us. All of us.

At the same time, I am ashamed to use that title, Christian, because so, so many evil things have been done in that name.

What's in a name?

If right now, you are horrified by what Christians have done or failed to do, by what Christians have said or failed to say, I am right there with you. I just want to say, not all that glistens is gold. Not all who claim to follow Christ know where he's going.

What's in a name?

All that Christians have been asked to do is to love God with everything they have, and to love their neighbors as themselves. That does not mean merging identities with political parties. That does not mean hating the other. That does not mean doing violence in the name of God. That does not mean choosing which lives count as important. That does not mean controlling the government.

What's in a name?

In the Bible, God promises a faithful remnant, a group of people throughout history who in word, as well as in deed, aim to live as Jesus lived. God also promises in the Bible that there will always be people who claim to follow Him but are actually liars. There is only one test: no matter what a person says, it is by their actions that they are known. Any Christian who does not love God and their neighbor is not a true believer.

What's in a name?

Nothing, and everything.


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