Open Letter - Christians Stand Up

As I have been looking at all of the events of this weekend I know that the heart of God is grieved.

When Jesus was asked which was the most important commandment he said,

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.’ This is the most important, the first on any list. But there is a second to set alongside it: ‘Love others as well as you love yourself.’ These two commands are pegs; everything in God’s Law and the Prophets hangs from them.” (Matthew 22:39-40 MSG)

and again

“The first in importance is, ‘Listen, Israel: The Lord your God is one; so love the Lord God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence and energy.’ And here is the second: ‘Love others as well as you love yourself.’ There is no other commandment that ranks with these.” (Mark 12:29-31 MSG) says,

And I have been waiting, desperately to hear people of God come out in force to denounce the lack of love that has transpired in the last 10 or some odd days since Trump has taken over the presidency. 

My heart is pained deeply because while some have spoken out our collective voice has not been loud enough. 

In Leviticus 19:33-34 (NIV) it says,

‘When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.

God's theme has always been love me and love people. In that order. In America we are all immigrants. Not one of our ancestors originated here in this country. I am the product of immigrants. And whether these immigrants are here legally or illegal it is our duty as people of faith to love them. We are blessed enough to live in a country where our poverty, our oppression, our hardship isn't any where close to that of these people who are running literally for their lives. 

America is built on illegal immigration. The pilgrims on the Mayflower sailed here to escape religious persecution. Is that not what we are taught in school? And the Natives who were here helped them survive. So now, hundreds of years later we shun those doing the same thing our nation is built on? How shameful and selfish is that? The Christians who sought shelter all those years ago have birthed the Christians of today who now wish to persecute those searching for that same freedom. 

My Message: This is an indictment on people who say they love and know the Lord. Your voice should be the loudest. If we know that God is love and that God is in us then we should exude love. Instead some of us are exuding hate and where hate is love cannot be. And if God is love and your heart is blackened by your hate where is there room for God? Many of us need to examine our hearts and our relationships with God. 

And your silence is support. Even if you don't think so. Jesus NEVER stood silent in the face of injustice. We have become to comfortable riding the middle ground but God says that it is better to be hot or cold then to be a lukewarm Christian. We have to choose a side and if the side you chose is NOT justice you will have a lot to explain not just on earth but in Heaven.

What's dangerous is that when we don't stand up for those being persecuted we open the door to being persecuted ourselves. Even God reminded the children of Israel that they too were once foreigners in Egypt. In that same way we could at some point be foreigners in another land and would want to be treated with respect.

To my persecuted brothers and sisters, regardless of faith, race and sexual orientation I stand with you when you are wronged, abused, shut-out. I may not agree with you on certain things but I do know that regardless of our differences no one deserves mistreatment of any kind. I say this not just because my people have been fighting this fight in this country for a long time but also because God is love, God loves us all, and He commands me to love you. 

I stand in solidarity.

The Unlikely Missionary

DHW