Jesus Take the Wheel (So I can Flip this Liberal Hippie the Bird)

I’m fed up with a la carte Christians, praising God from one side of their mouth while spewing hate and mongering fear out of the other.

I wore blue Dockers & a white polo shirt in elementary school, went to church on Wednesdays and Sundays throughout middle and high school, and still say the Lord’s Prayer before bed every night. I struggle with literal interpretations of the Bible, still believe in the separation of church and state, and worry that religion may kill as many as it saves. I’ve made countless mistakes. I keep trying. My firmest belief is in the “Golden Rule” and I try (key word) to do each day as I think Jesus would do.

But lately I find more disappointment than pride in the behavior of so called “Christians” within the political discourse, policy discussion and current affairs commentary to which I’m exposed via national and social media.

To me, if you’re a Christian when defending the rights of the unborn, you must also be a Christian when considering the funding of safety nets for the poor and healthcare access. If you’re a Christian when condemning gay rights, you must also be a Christian when choosing to vote between those who favor leading with the carrot over the stick in the realm of foreign policy.

Jesus said a lot of things and the Ten Commandments are pretty clear about murder. So yes, stand firm on your belief that abortion is murder but look just as firmly in the mirror as you mentally sweep aside the thousands of innocents lost to war.

Here’s my point. We’ve got start giving an equal amout of attention to the plank in our eyes as we do to the specs in our neighbors, near and far. And, as He commanded, leave the judging to Jesus.

Am I a fool to desire a world where Christians can be more than just vocally Christian, more than just selective apostles? Is it ridiculous to imagine a society where those who don’t share one’s beliefs are entitled to do so without the believer feeling insecure or persecuted in their own? Would it be so hard to let the words of the Bible influence our personal choices and encourage more Christian choices from others without condemning those who don’t follow to a fiery eternity? If you just can’t let go, then at least try harder to “let God”, people.

Vote for whomever you feel most completely shares your vision for a better country, but perhaps check your lenses to be sure that Jesus tint lets you see the sinners, the needy and the greedy with equal clarity and light.

Maybe Jesus did condemn homosexuality, but who am I to decide? The Bible is as clear as the intentions of those reading its passages. Maybe Jesus would defund Planned Parenthood, but would he not also provide for the mother of a baby conceived in rape? We were ALL given free will. We all have the right to defend our beliefs. But the cherry-picked preaching needs to stop, for the good of our country and the hope of a more united future. Go ahead, hold firm in your belief that your neighbor should not be able to marry his boyfriend. While I won’t agree with you, I also won’t promise you hell for that choice. Just make sure you give an equal dose of Jesus to the meek as you do to the “sodomite”. Make sure you’re humble about the size of your “camels” and sifting through the positions you support with a comb as fine as the eye of the needle through which you may one day wish to pass.

Men and women, full of flaws, mortal throughout, dictate the laws of our land. Men and women, sinners the lot (including myself), will argue about them for eternity. If Jesus was guiding your wheel, would He not as readily let an atheist or lesbian switch lanes in front of Him as he would the young, straight Christian father?

The words of Jesus I welcomed into my heart, twice a week at a Catholic high school in a small, conservative town, left me with little doubt. Our place is not to stand in judgement. Our place is to love. Our charge is to treat our neighbors with grace and kindness, whether sinners or saints, and let God sort out the rest.

Odds are maybe 5 people (if I’m lucky) will read this. If even one of you thinks about it the next time you’re arguing with someone on twitter or the next time you’re casting a vote, then I’ll have accomplished something of worth. If not, hey, at least I said my piece.

Be well. And please, be better to each other.

Matthew 12:25

And knowing their thoughts Jesus said to them, “Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and any city or house divided against itself will not stand.