“How Christians Can Bring Healing to our Country”

            We are just emerging from the most controversial, bitter, divisive political campaign in the history of our country.  We are no longer the United States of America.  We are deeply, deeply divided.  Although neighbors may live side-by-side in a common neighborhood, they may have completely different perspectives and value systems.  Indeed, we are so polarized that we are really two separate nations overlapping a single geographic territory.  

            This polarization has shredded the fabric of our society, leaving us with deep, gaping holes.  We are all bruised and battered as individuals and as a society.  As a nation, we are in deep need of healing.  In my proclamation this Sunday (November 13th), I will suggest that Christians are uniquely qualified to bring this desperately needed healing to our country.

            The basis for my reflection will be Christ’s teachings in Luke 6: 32-37, 41-42.  There teachings come from his “Sermon on the Plain.”  While these teachings form the basis for a personal ethic, I will suggest that in our current context they make an important contribution to a social ethic.  Jesus begins these teachings by expanding the scope of one’s personal ethic (verses 32-34):

“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you?  For even sinners love those who love them.”

“If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you?  For even sinners do the same.”

“If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you?  Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again.”

In these verses, Jesus points to the deficiency of an ethical scope which only focuses on our concern for those who are already our allies.  As such this is a “negative ethic.”  However, in the next verse, he summarizes these claims by flipping them and making a “positive ethic” in the process:  “But, love your enemies, do good, and lend expecting nothing in return.”

            Christ continues his teaching by announcing the consequences of following his ethic:  If we follow Jesus’ ethic, “Your reward will be great, and you will be Children of the Most High [that is, ‘Children of God’], for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.”  Then, Jesus continues with an admonishment, “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”

            In these reflections, Christ calls for an ethic which promotes an all-encompassing love, a commitment to promote the good of others, and a generous and merciful heart.  Jesus continues his ethics teaching with four stipulations, two negative and two positive, with their consequences (verses 37-38):

“Do not judge, and you will not be judged.”

“Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned.”

“Forgive, and you will be forgiven.”

“Give, and it will be given to you.”

            Finally, Jesus provides a parable, which exemplifies and summarizes the heart of his ethical proposal:  “Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye?  Or, how can you say to your neighbor, ‘Friend, let me take out the speck in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log in your own eye?  You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s eye.” (verses 41-42)

            At its heart, Christ’s proposed ethic is one of love that requires a generosity of spirit to those who oppose us.  That is, his ethic requires an attitude of generosity which seeks the good in the other, rather than celebrating and belaboring their faults and failures.  This attitude does not focus on judging and condemning those with whom we disagree.  Instead, Christ’s proposed attitude is one of mercy, forgiveness, and generosity of spirit.

            As I noted above, Christ’s proposed ethic is a personal ethic.  That is, it focuses on how we conduct our personal affairs and interactions.  However, I believe that it might also provide the social ethic which we so desperately need for our society.  Christ calls upon us to treat our political opponents—that is, those with whom we politically disagree—with kindness, generosity, mercy, forgiveness, all while trying to find the good in them.

            In our present, post-election context, Christ’s personal ethic also needs to become our political ethic.  Such a political ethic would be characterized by the following five components:

1.      Forgiveness.  The first step towards healing is for everyone to forgive each other for all of the hurtful things that have been said during this election.

2.      Empathy.  The second step towards healing would be trying to empathize with, and understand, those with whom we disagree.  To a certain extent, this means trying to put ourselves in the shoes of our opponents; trying to see the situation from their perspective; trying to understand their fears, thoughts, and beliefs.  For Trump voters, this means trying to understand why the proponents of “Black Lives Matter” feel as though they cannot trust the police and thus feel disenfranchised.  For Clinton voters, this means trying to understand why so many working class whites feel as though they have been left behind economically and culturally, thus leading to feelings of disenfranchisement. 

3.      Humility.  The old cliché, “Pride goeth before a fall,” remains true to this day.  We need to face the future with a healthy humility that we do not have all of the answers and that our motivations are sometimes flawed.  There are important insights which we can learn from our opponents, and they probably hold important pieces to the puzzle. 

4.      Compromise.  For 240 years, our society has engaged is this “Great Experiment” with Democracy.  Democracy is only possible through the art of compromise—being willing to accept partial victories.  We need to relinquish a “zero-sum” mentality in which the only acceptable resolution is when we get 100% of what we want and the other side gets 0%.

5.      Inclusivity.  Now, in 2016 and beyond, the U.S. is a very diverse society.  If we are to survive as a country and if we are to thrive as a society, then we must re-learn inclusivity.  Another old cliché says, “United we stand, divided we fall.”  If we want to be secure militarily, economically, and politically, then we cannot be divided.  We must be inclusive of everyone.  Rather, than denigrating difference and diversity, we need to celebrate difference and diversity as our greatest national resource.  In order to promote social inclusivity, we must condemn and completely reject racism, misogyny, huge economic disparity, and all forms of discrimination.

At this point, we might well ask, “How can Christians bring healing to our country?”  “How can we move Christ’s teachings from being a personal ethic to a social ethic?” 

In another teaching, Jesus says, “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened” (Matthew 13:33)  Christians can bring healing to our country by becoming the yeast which leavens the dough of our society.  When we follow our personal ethic in our interactions with others, then we provide the yeast which will leaven the dough and bring healing. 

That is, when we love others; when we are kind and generous and merciful and forgiving, then through our interactions we bring healing.  When we do not judge or condemn, but seek rather to understand and appreciate the fears and anxieties and perspectives of others, then we begin the healing process.  And, when others experience our love and generosity, then their hearts will be transformed and the healing will continue.  This healing will lead to more healing and more healing, rippling out to impact others, until eventually our society is healed.

If you live in the Lincoln, Nebraska area, come, join us this Sunday, November 13th, at Christ United Methodist Church, as we explore the possibilities for being instruments of healing for our nation.  Our church is located at 4530 A Street in Lincoln, and our traditional worship services are at 8:30 and 11:00 on Sunday mornings. 

Everyone is welcome and accepted because God loves us all.