Did They Really Just Say That!?
I remember growing up and saying things that I deeply regretted. Stuff like calling my brother "fat" when he made me mad and was a little overweight. I can recall instances of name-calling when people were provoking me. And the worst offense I can think of was calling a poor middle school girl "ugly" just because I couldn't find the words to ask her to stop making fun of me.
I also remember hearing others speak phrases that made me pause and say, "Did they really just say that!?" Sometimes friends spoke them. Other times I heard it through entertainment. But most of the time I witnessed these expressions at home or at church.
Today, we are constantly bombarded by "did they really just say that!?" moments. We hold instant news notifications in the palm of our hands every day and we are deeply overwhelmed by politically slanted media posts, confusing updates on unclear matters, and what feel like personal attacks from social media friends and followers.
As I look at our culture, I can't help but think of how easily misunderstood Jesus was while walking the earth. Religious leaders asked questions and persistently looked for ways to test Him, trick Him, and get Him to stumble onto a wrong answer. His disciples inquired for the meaning of many of His stories and teachings. Even His family didn't quite catch the reality of Him being the Messiah and inviting all into the family of God.
But a few of the innumerable things I love about Jesus were that the ways He lived, taught, and spoke always invited people into a relationship. He spoke in parables not to explain everything to those around Him, but to show them their interpretation wouldn't save them and that only His work and word could (Mt. 13:10-17). He asked questions 29 times in response to the questions of religious leaders not to show them how wrong they were, but to invite them into a deeper conversation in which His revelation of Yahweh was the only real truth and pathway to freedom. He said things that were indeed straightforward and even sometimes curt, yet it was always about beckoning in. After speaking some specific 'woe' statements to the religious leaders and Jerusalem as a whole, He also informs them that He longs to gather them as a mother hen gathers her chicks (Mt. 23:37).
Jesus' ministry was full of "did He really just say that!?" moments. From the sermon on the mount to healing folks on the Sabbath to correcting Roman concepts and Jewish worship, He consistently challenged the systems around Him. Yet, hear me on this, the point of His protests were not simply to upheave society but to invite people into a new way of life rooted in Kingdom relationship with the Triune God of love, displayed in covenant connections with others in God's family, and established through citizenship in heaven.
Today, I find that the "did they really just say that!?" phrases are not being proclaimed in the same manner that our Messiah exampled for us. They are slogans that place political preference and party above kindness towards those hearing them. They are remarks of research that lead to division rather than relationship and connection. They are wordings that look to challenge things because we think we know best.
I don't know everything there is to know. I don't have every answer. But I know the One who does. And this One has called us to live in the freedom He purchased for us. In Galatians 5, Paul tells us that we "should not use our freedom to indulge in the flesh but to serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by one another (Gal. 5:13-15)."
The sad reality is that after almost two thousand years the words to the church in Galatia ring truer than ever to the awful, disgusting, and divisive words used by people that call themselves followers of Christ. At times, I cannot believe what I am seeing, reading, and hearing from the people of God in response to the many things happening in our world. On good days, I tell myself, "I will not ruin this day by scrolling through Facebook," because I know what I will find on there: biting and devouring that is destroying one another.
As the Church, we are called to carry a prophetic message through the Gospel of Jesus to the world. The Good News is good news. It should never lead to shame, but to identity. It should not lead to hatred, but to love. It's not the Good News if it endorses your political party because it's the Gospel of the Kingdom of heaven in which there is one King and He's not the president.
Our prophetic voice is about encouraging, strengthening, and uplifting one another in the Church. Our prophetic voice is to call forth every person in the world to the radical love of Jesus who laid down His life for all to be saved. It must be very difficult for the world to hear our message of unity and love when all they can see is our voices in division and hatred.
I bring this all up because I believe the Lord has given me a voice to proclaim the Good News of Jesus, to prophesy life in the midst of death, and to creatively express the immeasurable love of God in a world that is so in need of truth, grace, and hope. Recently I made statements in sermons and through social media that I had people respond to in manners that were unbefitting of Christian conduct. I had my character, call, and competency challenged all because I said "Black Lives Matter." I have no problem if people disagree with me, but when it goes beyond theological disagreements to personal attack or when it goes to overlooking the real oppression and injustice that people of color in our world have experienced, well, biting and devouring lead to destroying one another.
I am not recanting my statements. I believe that the Gospel of Jesus moves us to action. I believe the Scriptural mandate is to love God with everything we are, love our neighbor as we love ourselves (Mt. 22:36-40), and make disciples who follow and obey Jesus (Mt. 28:18-20). As part of these commandments and commission, the ways in which we love our neighbors are to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God (Mic. 6:8) through caring for and doing good to the poor, oppressed, fatherless, widows, and orphans (Is. 1:17, Ps. 82:3; Jms. 1:27). All of this to say, I can see the injustice, oppression, and need for support for our brothers and sisters of color and I want to love my neighbor as myself. If you don't see it, I'd encourage you to watch this video.
I believe Black Lives Matter. Some people reading this might say, "did he really just say that!?" Yes. Does this mean that I agree with everything from the BLM movement? No. Does it make me a member of the movement? No. Does it mean that I am no longer pro-life or that I don't stand for marriage between one male and one female? No.
It means that I've heard the call of the Lord, I've heard the cry of my brothers and sisters, and that I believe the lives of all people matter. Blue lives matter. Brown lives matter. Native lives matter. All lives matter. And right now, our fellow members of the human race are simply asking for care, compassion, justice, and equality. And I agree that there needs to be changes in our systems, in our hearts, and in our world. And the Gospel is the only eternal change that can inform our temporary changes with effective and sustainable fruit.
And I would love to talk with those who see differently. This is not to try to correct or to prove who's smarter, but to stay in connection and see how we can best love God and love our neighbors as ourselves. But here's the thing, even though I recently had a "did he really just say that" moment, because of a variety of reasons my statements were interpreted to not lead to connection. My apologies if this was not how these words were expressed. My goal is to always direct people to relationship with the Lord, unity with each other, and Kingdom-focused action.
This will certainly not be my last "did he really just say that" moment and I believe that we will continue to experience these various phrases that make us pause, react, or want to fight with each other. In these instances, let's remember that our Savior was a Rabbi who consistently said things that challenged and made people uncomfortable, but were always rooted in invitation and connection. When we hear these words, let us not respond from anything but our voting record of Jesus as King. When we run into these statements, may we choose to not bite, devour, or destroy each other, but actively pursue serving and honoring one another humbly in love.
I am hoping for a day in which the people of God are not known for the negative reactions, divisive political preferences, or devouring expressions we see so often within and outside the four walls of the church building. I am praying and dreaming of a day in which the message of Christ is so accurately proclaimed and displayed that people's "did they really just say that!?" is a desperate cry to hear more of the only Good News that will ever change things eternally and lead us to the love, action, and way of life we need now.
Jesus says in John 13:34-35, "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” Did He really just say that!? Yes, He did. Rise up, beloved. Let's love one another a little better. Amen.
