GaryK wrote:Bootstrap wrote:I think it's sometimes important to name sins. Especially sins that are at the center of an event. Partly because we want the victims of hate to hear that we care, partly because we want to clearly say that we do not support those proclaiming hatred in our name.
How do you decide when it's important for the "church" to name such sins? Why should the sin of hate be elevated above other sins? Is it perhaps because this has become such a political hot topic? Once again, all the hate we see happening right now is not new. It's an age old problem.
I suppose partly because we, as a church, need to confess this sin and rid ourselves of it. The world looks at us and calls us "haters", and often they are right, we Christians have often aligned ourselves with those who hate, and often engaged in hatred ourselves, and we are completely in denial of that.
If it's only the sin of the other guy out there, maybe it's less important for us to name it.
But all too often, we have eagerly bought into victim narratives and grievance narratives that say we are the victims, we need to be scared, and we should have no compassion for others out there because it is really our own grievances that count. We have looked at the real victim by the side of the road and said, "that victim should just shut up, I'm tired of hearing it, and I'm busy living my fine religious life". And let me be clear: I think that is happening across the spectrum of churches, I am not pointing fingers in any one direction here.
GaryK wrote:For the church to join into what is clearly a political hot topic at the moment is to take her focus off of something only the church, under the direction of its Head, can offer. True peace through Jesus and His Kingdom. Perhaps all the hatred we see right now can, at least in part, be attributed to the church having joined into the political process, making it part of the problem rather than the solution. You can't fix a sin problem politically.
I agree with this. And I suspect that any time we find ourselves caught up with our own grievances, or obsessed by negative feelings toward some person or group, or unable to have compassion on someone else because our heart is closed to them, that's a pretty good sign that we have been coopted.
Compassion is a pretty important theme in the New Testament. True love comes with compassion and caring. It's the opposite of shutting your heart to someone.
GaryK wrote:I'm confident that if the church would get back to focusing on her calling we would see a change in society, which would affect politics as well.
I agree. To me, compassion, caring and prayer are really important parts of that. To me, rejecting the grievance narratives and hate narratives of politicians are important parts of that. Buying into these narratives takes our eyes off of the true Kingdom, and often makes us gullible and ugly.
Is there a better a way to say that? Is there some way we can help lead the church to repent of this?
Is it biblical? Is it Christlike? Is it loving? Is it true? How can I find out?