Leviticus 25:18
The Bible Gets Political
By Rev. William Dohle
I hate it when songs get stuck in your head. Like this one...
"Jesus loves me this I know... for the Bible tells me so..."
Just that one line might get a whole song running through your head for the rest of the day. (You're welcome!) And what a song to be running through your head. Beloved as it is, the Bible doesn't explicitly say that Jesus loves you. God loves you, yes. John 3:16 talks about God's love for us. But Jesus' love? Not so much. In fact, I have yet to find a reference in all of Scripture that backs this little song up.
Still the excuse "the Bible tells me so" that works for people. For many people. In fact, the very idea that the Bible might tell them to do or not to do something is important to them. Christians live their lives based on what they read the Bible telling them or not telling them to do. It's just part of being religious.
But what happens when the Bible gets...political? What happens when pieces of Scripture(many pieces in some cases) support a certain viewpoint? What do you do with the Bible then? Follow it? Or dismiss it?
A good friend of mine from college asked this question of me quite a while ago and I struggled with giving him an answer. On the one hand, I wanted to agree with him and say, "No! The Bible doesn't dabble in politics! Separation of church and state is right in there..." On the other hand, I knew that was a lie. In fact, the Bible gets very political, especially when you liken our current events with events that it specifically speaks on. THEN it gets really political.
Take what is going on with the refugee children from Central America. I am sure my friend, a Border Officer himself, would have some opinions on what should happen there.
But the Bible also has some specific things to say about foreigners or aliens among us. And I'm not sure what my friend would say about it...
"When an alien lives with you in your land, do not mistreat him. The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-borns. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. I am the Lord." (Leviticus 19:35-36)Now, this is the first time that the subject of immigration and handling the "alien" among you comes up in the Bible. But it certainly isn't the last. Throughout Scripture, God is continually reminding His people that we are to treat others as we want to be treated. The insiders were once outsiders too. How would you like to be treated if you were an alien(which you were in Egypt.) Remember that...and treat them the same way.
In fact, if you look at the stories of Jesus in the Gospels you find a man who is constantly treating "outsiders" and "foreigners" as though they were insiders, healing everyone from the Centurion's servant to the Cananite's daughter to the countless conversations he had with those good-for-nothing Samaritans. In fact, Jesus seems more keen on talking to resident aliens than he does talking to his own people!
And to our modern day problems... I know there is no easy answer. More children in the system only strains the system more. Taking some children in will encourage others to make the trip. I get that. The Bible doesn't say there is an easy answer either. The Bible stresses compassion. Compassion in all things!
"...do not mistreat him..." ... BE COMPASSIONATE!
"The alien...must be treated as one of your native-borns..." ... BE COMPASSIONATE!
"Love him as yourself..." ... BE COMPASSIONATE!
"...you were aliens in Egypt..."... BE COMPASSIONATE!
Do you see a theme here? The theme is compassion! There is no reason in the world why a Christian should be seen holding a sign of hatred against these children. They did nothing to deserve that! Write letters to your congressman. Speak at the town hall. Complain to your friends if you need to. But do not, I repeat, do not show these children anything but compassion!
Compassion and "love". That is what is commanded here. That's what's on God's agenda!
The Bible doesn't flinch at politics. Nor does it apologize for being political today. Instead, it speaks its command "Love the alien as yourself" in clear tones that should mark Christians in the immigration debate of the day. How can we, Americans, do what the Bible tells us to in ways that are compassionate and loving toward our neighbors? Can we be compassionate, even in our political views?
Compassionate God, you pour yourself out for us, aliens though we are. May we pour ourselves out to others, even to the outcasts among us, that they may find hope and strength and peace. Amen.
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