You probably noticed that the first thing I listed above is the next No Kings protest in our community. Some church leaders – and their political allies – have said that real Christians wouldn’t be involved in these protests because that’s not what Christians do. I find this interesting – it seems that clergy getting involved in politics is okay as long as those politics are conservative leaning, not the other direction. These anti-tyranny protests, which have been peaceful and growing in numbers, are part of the American dream – the right – the ability – to assemble in peaceful protest is promised in the Constitution, right there with speech, religion, and guns. To protest the right of Christians to protest is not just unconstitutional and unpatriotic, it is un-Christian. And historically ridiculous.
Without people of faith – all faiths – the Civil Rights Movement would never have succeeded. Without those same people, immoral wars would have continued without any indication that anyone thought they were wrong. People of all faiths have come together to speak out against wrong for centuries, and their voices have sometimes been heard – and sometimes silenced through violent means. And if you think Jesus would have disapproved of our protests, I suggest you head to church this Sunday. The first day of Holy Week – Palm Sunday – was a peaceful protest proclaiming Jesus as the Son of God, an anti-government message directed at Rome. As theologian John Dominic Crossan wrote, if Jesus is the Son of God, then Caesar is not. And that, my good people, is what got Jesus murdered by the government. Crucifixion was capital punishment.
Our protest, however, if it is based in our faith, should always be respectful and peaceful. There should be no name calling or insulting – there should only be slogans of hope and support for what is right. Because, while we are Constitutionally allowed to protest and be disrespectful, that doesn’t fit in with faith in with loving and serving God. I think that God has expectations of people who proclaim God as their reason for doing what is right, and those expectations are that we see others – our enemies and those who disagree with us – as children of God too. If we behave inappropriately, we betray God’s trust. We are expected to act in ways that match our words. Because people are watching our witness. Our actions should never betray our words.
Prayer – Holy God, give each one of us the courage to live what we say we believe. May our yes be yes and our no be no. Amen.
Today’s art is a Byzantine-style depiction of Jesus entering Jerusalem – artist unknown.