God and Americans
I love me some evangelicals! At one point, that was my life, albeit with some serious doubts. Many of our friends from early in my marriage were of that ilk. Many of my current friends are too. That’s not me anymore, if it ever really was. I’ve changed a lot.
But now I have to wonder…..are these people that I love Christians first and then Americans or is it the other way around? Because I hear a lot of rhetoric that tells me, in reality, they are Americans first. It seems they’re able to set aside the core Christian values when it bumps up against our border.
What has happened to:
Love your neighbor as yourself.
Treat others as you would like to be treated.
Let others see your good deeds so that your actions glorify God.
Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute.
Even the Old Testament speaks of giving aid to the exiled and the persecuted refugee. Nowhere does it say, “Except when brown.” Do they even remember that he was brown in his human form? A person doesn’t leave everything they know, most of their families, and walk hundreds of miles to get a free meal. They do it because their lives are untenable. Our system isn’t working perfectly but to take the resources, 60 or so billion dollars, for a wall, instead of building bridges to a better way of life, leaves me with a despair of how we treat HUMAN BEINGS created by the God they claim to love so much. I know it is not ALL evangelicals but it is the ones making themselves heard right now. Hopefully, the "other" evangelicals will start making some noise. In my view, beside being hateful, it's a lazy, stupid answer. With intelligence and empathy 60 billion dollars has the potential to do something amazing.
We’ve got an national emergency alright. It’s a bad heart.
But now I have to wonder…..are these people that I love Christians first and then Americans or is it the other way around? Because I hear a lot of rhetoric that tells me, in reality, they are Americans first. It seems they’re able to set aside the core Christian values when it bumps up against our border.
What has happened to:
Love your neighbor as yourself.
Treat others as you would like to be treated.
Let others see your good deeds so that your actions glorify God.
Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute.
Even the Old Testament speaks of giving aid to the exiled and the persecuted refugee. Nowhere does it say, “Except when brown.” Do they even remember that he was brown in his human form? A person doesn’t leave everything they know, most of their families, and walk hundreds of miles to get a free meal. They do it because their lives are untenable. Our system isn’t working perfectly but to take the resources, 60 or so billion dollars, for a wall, instead of building bridges to a better way of life, leaves me with a despair of how we treat HUMAN BEINGS created by the God they claim to love so much. I know it is not ALL evangelicals but it is the ones making themselves heard right now. Hopefully, the "other" evangelicals will start making some noise. In my view, beside being hateful, it's a lazy, stupid answer. With intelligence and empathy 60 billion dollars has the potential to do something amazing.
We’ve got an national emergency alright. It’s a bad heart.
RAMEN!
ReplyDeleteSo well put, Linda!
ReplyDeleteHypocrisy is as old as any religion.
ReplyDeleteAmen, sister! Do you know how many children we could feed with 8 billion dollars? It boggles the mind.
ReplyDeleteJoyce
I have a theory.
ReplyDeleteIf you have to tell me you are Christian, you most likely do not act like one.
If you have to tell me you don't lie, you are lying to me.
I don't care for those that have to tell me anything, show me.
Behave in a way that shows everyone your kind heart. Don't tell me.
I will see it.
I think most Americans agree this wall is all kinds of wrong.
I am thankful my Grandparents made it to this country legally and otherwise or I wouldn't be here to speak my opinion. I also am thankful that hate was not taught in my home, but inclusion. I just hope we can get back to the hope that the 44th gave me. The 45th is an evil human.
This post is EVERYTHING! This change in our country is SO SAD to me!!!! UGH!
ReplyDeleteYour title reads: God and Americans.
ReplyDeleteYou shouldn't mix up God with religions or nations. Religions (christianity, judaism, islam etc..) are man-made, and they speak in the name of God, but God is not behind them; He's above them.
God has already built all the needed walls and barriers when creating the world (different skin colors, different languages, different geographical areas) but Man (including the americans who came from all over the world to a territory not given to them) keeps violating this world. The oucome doesn't look good.
DUTA said it so much better than I could.
ReplyDeleteThere’s way too much “in God’s name” going on here today.
The United States of America is/was 1 nation under God ..but which God is not specified. I try to Never Ever look at a person or listen to a person and judge what I am hearing or reading by their religion.
And who are we to judge anyone?
And I am also sickened by the use of United States funds/money being spent on something that ugly bigot in the White House wants.
ReplyDeleteBravo. Well stated. There is quite a world of hypocrisy out there but what shocks me daily (and has for long enough that I shouldn't be shocked) is that so many of those who with these intolerant beliefs are those who claim to be the greatest Christians. I'm thinking if they lived "What would Jesus do" the world would be a much better place. I hate to say it but there are more than a few moments in any day that I am embarrassed to be an American.
ReplyDeleteWell written, Linda. I really like how you ended this post, "We’ve got an national emergency alright. It’s a bad heart." Sums it up perfectly!
ReplyDeleteThese are not loving people. These are hypocrites.
ReplyDelete