By Rev. William Dohle
It's easy to condemn people. It really is. All you need to do is look closely at someone else, compare them to yourselves, throw in what you perceive to be God's law, and {PRESTO} instant condemnation.
It happens all the time. We see someone who looks a little odd. Maybe they have a strange piercing or tattoo. Maybe they smell odd or speak a different language. Maybe they're dressed not like we feel people should dress. We think to ourselves... something isn't right about them. Our red flags go up and our journey on the path to condemnation begins. First we wonder what they might be like. We figure they must not go to church. At least not our church. Then we look for what is wrong with them. Maybe they're a shady character. So we speed up our walk, hoping to God that the hellspawn we discovered doesn't pay any attention to us as we hurry away.
It's easy to condemn others. In our head and in our heart. It's hard to stand up for them.
This morning I read an article about a group of students who stood up for someone being condemned. They formed a wall with their bodies and opposed the condemners. This is what they did...
You can read the rest of the article here.A group of Missouri students formed a human wall outside Mizzou Arena on Saturday in support of Michael Sam.The students were attempting to block from view members of Westboro Baptist who were in town protesting against the outpouring of support for former Missouri defensive end Michael Sam, who announced he was gay earlier this month. Sam and the rest of the Missouri football team were honored during the basketball game against Tennessee. Sam received one of the loudest ovations from fans when the team was acknowledged... Members of the hate group stood outside the arena holding signs that condemned the community's and school's support for Sam. Students who formed the wall tried to counter the protest by turning their backs and singing the Missouri alma mater.
The Westboro Baptist Church isn't reflective of any other Baptist denomination in the country. In fact, many would consider them a hate group for the hatred they display on their signs. They have protested funerals and events all over the country, even here in Peoria. They always come with the same message of hatred, wherever they go.
What they do, condemning people for what they believe usually connected with homosexuality, is easy. It's easy to condemn others. Standing up for them...now that's hard.
It's hard to stand up to them...or any human when this group, or anyone, condemns another person. We'd prefer to just hide away from the fighting. But imagine if the one who is doing the condemning is God? Imagine if God was the one wanting to destroy or send others to hell. Would we have the strength, the courage, and the energy to stand up to God?
Moses did! In rather dramatic fashion. Before he descended from the mountain, while the people were making a golden calf, God went into a rage.
"Go down for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. They have turned aside quickly out of the way that I commanded them. They have made for themselves a golden calf and have worshiped it...Now therefore leave me alone that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them, in order that I may make a great nation of you."(Exodus 32:7-10)
God's pretty mad, huh? Notice how he puts the blame on Moses? It's Moses' people who Moses' brought up out of the land of Egypt. Sounds like my wife when my kids do something wrong. "Your kids who YOU raised!"
And God's so angry that he's going to consume them. His wrath is burning hot. Hotter than hellfire we might say today. He's so mad he's going to wipe out the people of Israel and make Moses into a great nation instead.
Now at this point most of us would step back. "If God condemns them...who am I that I should stand up to God?!" we would say. Christians have a way of telling others that they're going to hell at this point. "God hates fags" the Westboro Baptist signs read. With no compassion or mercy we step aside and would gladly let God consume them, as long as he's not consuming us too.
But Moses doesn't do that. Not at all. Moses stands up to God.
"But Moses implored the Lord his God and said, "O Lord, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand?...Turn from your burning anger and relent from this disaster against your people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self..."(Exodus 32:11-14)
Notice what Moses does here? He turns the tables on God! He reminds God that Israel is HIS people. HE rescued them out of Egypt. HE has given them a law and a covenant. HE has done this because of HIS promises. There's no room for burning anger or disaster, for God has promised to rescue his people. God has promised...and there's no going back on it.
Moses says all this to God. He stands up to God...and God relents! God changes his mind. The Scripture says, "And the Lord relented from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people."
All because Moses stood up to God's condemnation and said: NO!
Might we do the same? Not just to God but also to one another? Might we stand up to others when they condemn someone else? Might we stand up and say, "No! You will not treat them like that!?" Might we not join our voices with those condemning or join our voices with the silent ones, but rather stand up, like these students did in Missouri, and protect those who are being condemned?
Moses did...generations before us! Jesus did too! And we can do the same.
I am proud that so many people have stood up against those who would condemn Michael Sam and others and have said, "No!" I was touched by a football commentator last week who did this very thing and stood up against those who would condemn with a firm, "No!" (You can see his story here).
May we do the same, joining the ranks of those who have stood up to oppression no matter what it might cost us.
Give us courage, Lord, that we might stand up to the oppressors wherever they might be. Amen.
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