Called to be Jesus

I have a very dear friend who is a Sikh. He is one of the most loving and open people I know. I remember him relating to me how he was attacked after 9/11. In this case it wasn’t violent, and there was no permanent damage done. But my friend was attacked for no sane reason. Someone apparently thought that anyone wearing a turban must be a Muslim. I know it’s unpopular to say it, but not all Muslims are responsible for 9/11, and not all Muslims are our enemies. So even if my friend had been a Muslim, the attack on him would have been a demonstration of stupidity. But he isn’t a Muslim. He is a Sikh.

I think there is today, in the wake of the killings in Wisconsin, a wave of indignation rolling across the nation against the kind of thinking that misidentifies enemies and lashes out blindly just to hurt. This is to our credit.

But I think we should not be so quick to congratulate ourselves on our openness and solidarity. Yes it is heartwarming to see people stand with the Sikhs, but I venture to say that many expressing that unity hold in their hearts condemnation for some other group.

Unfortunately we tend to demonize those we disagree with. My guess is that many people who today cry for understanding of the Sikh community at the same time hold unreasoned and false prejudices against someone or something else. As a Christian I am always saddened when I see all Christians categorized with the most extremely hateful examples of people who so identify themselves, people who by their actions really deny the teachings of Christ. And of course we see it everywhere: Democrats demonize Republicans and vice-versa, Christians and non-Christians, gays and straights, Muslims, homeless, the old and the young, people who differ from us in physical appearance or ethnicity or culture, the list goes on and on. The only thing that all of these judgments have in common is that they are driven by a willingness to ignore the truth in order to make “points.” But every time we abandon the truth we damage not only our opponents but ourselves. Every one of these judgments is destructive.

John 3:16 is one of the best-known passages in all of scripture. I think it is too bad that we know that verse but not the one that follows it:

    [16] “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. [17] For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. (John 3:16-17 ESV)

As Christians we are called to follow the model of our Lord. Thus, we are called not to judge, but to serve. Everyone. Jesus didn’t reserve his love just for people who were like him. He shocked his contemporaries by ignoring social taboos and opening his arms wide to everyone, most especially to those who were outcast and demonized.

We are commanded to love in the same way:

    [34] A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. [35] By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35 ESV)

    [20] If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. [21] And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother. (1 John 4:20-21 ESV)

And, we are called to demonstrate our love by sacrifice for our brothers and sisters:

    [16] By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. [17] But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? [18] Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. (1 John 3:16-18 ESV)

I am reminded of these words spoken by Mother Teresa, "How you live your life is proof that you are or not fully His. We cannot condemn or judge or pass words that will hurt people. We don't know in what way God is appearing to that soul and what God is drawing that soul to; therefore, who are we to condemn anybody?"  We can’t know God’s relationship with any other person, but we can be certain that we are called to be Jesus to everyone we meet.

I pray for the day when we will all give up judgment and be able to live together in love, as Christ commanded us.

http://edition.cnn.com/2012/08/06/opinion/kaur-sikhs/index.html