“Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you”
— Jesus
This is not a left or right post. It’s not a political statement. It’s an ask. A query. A sincere attempt to understand and know what to do.
I have friends across the political spectrum whom I love and respect. Whether on the Right or Left, I’ve witnessed them say and do good things. Some of them post things on social media that I find wise and inspiring. And some posts I find jarring and troubling.
What Jesus said regarding love and hate he said to everyone. Especially me. And so this post is for me because I’m struggling. I’ve been wrestling for some years now with what I believe Jesus is asking of me and the world, and how far short I and the world are from living those words.
What to do besides attend a protest here and there? What to do besides writing letters and calling politicians? What to do besides giving some of my time, talents, and money to the causes that I care most about? None of this feels like I’m doing enough. I worry I’m complicit in the injustice I decry by not doing more.
Sometimes I don’t act more decisively because I’m genuinely conflicted. I’m not always confident in the information I’m receiving. I try to pull from a wide variety of news sources. I read books. Listen to podcasts. Talk to friends. Often, their reasoning makes some sense to me. But often it is at odds with another sensible friend or information I’ve explored.
I have deep concern for our beloved Earth. That our extortion of it and short-term thinking are not just injurious to the climate, soil, ocean, and creatures, but us. Especially the poorest and most vulnerable. The current U.S. administration is avowedly against my ethos of Earth care. But I also understand the difficult loss that communities and workers in extraction industries have experienced and wish to soften the impact.
I have walked in Salt Lake City’s gay pride parade many times. I have advocated for LGBTQ rights in other ways. And yet, I share some of the concerns expressed regarding children receiving sex reassignment surgery and drugs. I also believe women’s concerns about competing against transgender athletes are valid.
The people who ICE, often harshly, are removing are my brothers and sisters. A few of them are bad eggs and dangerous. Others are contributing members of my community and country, but are undocumented. 40-45% entered legally but stayed after their visa expired. The rest entered illegally.
If I were as desperate as many of these immigrants/refugees were/are, I likely would have entered illegally or overstayed my visa. Especially as a parent. Entering this country legally is an extremely difficult and lengthy process. Currently, a refugee has less than a 1% chance of entering legally.
President Obama removed 2,749,706 undocumented immigrants. Critics called him “Deporter-in-Chief.” President Trump is removing 36,000 a month. For me, the main difference between Obama and Trump is tone and tactics. I do not believe the latter aligns at all with what Jesus taught. Or even the humanistic values of respect and civility.
Because of past and current conflicts, the world is experiencing an unprecedented period of global displacement. Children make up 40% of this. As a nation, and as a citizen of this great country, should I not try to take in someone in need or at least assist them? Is that not what our Statue of Liberty says and symbolizes?
At the same time, right or wrong, I would feel very uncomfortable if anyone, citizen or not, decided to camp in my backyard without my invitation and permission. And I appreciate the fences I have on two sides of my property because they help me and my neighbors respect each other.
You see my problem?
And then there is Gaza. Such misery and horrific destruction of life and property. The current ceasefire will not restore or heal anything that was lost. Hamas’s terrible massacre of innocent Israelis required a response, but Israel’s retaliation was inhumane. My country was complicit. I feel complicit.
Greenland matters to us and our NATO allies—a lot. So does Ukraine. Yes, NATO needs to contribute more to Europe’s defence, and they are. But the bullying by the current administration is putting our long-held alliances with our friends at risk. We intervene on Israel’s behalf but waffle on Ukraine. What do I do about this?
When my oldest son turned 15, I had the realization after naively trying to coerce and manipulate him into better behavior that I couldn’t use Satan’s tools to do God’s work. Might doesn’t make right. I may win a battle, but I will lose the war.
But military language is part of the problem. Do I see political opponents, neighbors, or foreigners who see the world differently as enemies to be dominated or destroyed? Or do I see them as my sisters and brothers who share, subsist, and shelter in the same home—earth? And seek help and comfort from the same divine source.
What does moral resistance to tyranny and injustice look like? Gandhi and Martin Luther King come to mind. Jesus was their inspiration. But the Founding Fathers of America and Malcome X also come to mind. They eventually felt compelled to seek redress by returning violence with violence.
And so it goes. My heart and reasoning ping-ponging back and forth. My conscience badgering my comfortable life. Nagging me that I am not vocal enough and not contributing enough to be the change I want to see. Even these words I write, I fear, might just be to assuage the part of me that feels a need to do more. To be more radical.
How do I radically love like Jesus? Likely, the specifics will be different for me than for you. And it will probably entail some discovery, discomfort, and even fear. This seems to be God’s way. Which is why God reminds us often in Judeo-Christian scriptures: “Fear not, for I am with you..” (Isaiah 41:10).
I hope to be wiser and braver and more helpful than I currently am.
I found this podcast helpful. Shared with me by friend and poet, Kathryn Knight Sontag.
