Last night a fairly large group gathered at the corner of 5th Street and Penn St. in Reading, PA to light a large Menorah. It was especially important to me to be present to support Jews in America who are facing increased violence connected to the war against terror in Israel. And to let you know, there were words of concern and support for the Palestinian people and Muslims in America as well. After the lighting of the first electric candle, most of us went to the Alvernia U. downtown location for light refreshments and a ceremony led by a diverse group of people from the Berks County community. It was a great evening all around.
As I looked around the crowd, I saw people from all walks of life. Muslims, Christians, Jews, men and women, LGBTQ and straight, black, white, brown; and Christian Nationalists. How do I know they are Christian Nationalists? I have heard them speak and seen them in action. They attend churches that support CN ideology. They stood there with us, being caring and supportive, and it occurred to me that they had no idea that their ideology was poisonous to the very people they were there to support. The idea shook me to my core: this is how tyranny thrives, when good people support bad ideas, policies, and practices. And they have no idea they are doing this.
Christian Nationalism comes in many forms; from the cross wavers who attacked the Capitol building on January 6th to the angry church member who demands that we have the American flag on the altar. Some shout that America is a Christian nation; others want the Lord’s Prayer put back into the public schools. They support banning books about gay people but can’t see that there are sections of the Bible that are inappropriate for children. They worship an illegal immigrant while mistreating people seeking legal asylum. They have no idea that they live a double-minded life.
This gives me hope. I know that it is really hard to change our minds; after all, we don’t believe what we believe because we believe that belief is wrong. And while those beliefs might be wrong, there is something going on in their minds and hearts that is good and caring and understanding. They are people of faith; good people who love their country. They have no idea that they are being hypocritical, but I believe they can be taught, just like I have been. You and I might not be able to help all of them, but we can help some. This is why we keep telling the truth (yes, I know – I believe what I believe because I believe it is right as well). This is why we keep appealing to their better angels. This is why we speak out of love, not hate. This is why we never give up on people. We have changed our minds – so can they. If we lose hope, we lose everything. So don’t give up. People can change.
Prayer – God of change and new life, give us courage to speak and hope and bring change. Amen.
Today’s art is called “Be the Change”, but I couldn’t find who the artist is.