In many Christian circles it’s said to be a blessing if you experience “persecution” for talking about Jesus.
‘Don’t be afraid to share, even if unpopular, because “blessed are you when men hate you, separate themselves from you…, for the Son of man’s sake!”’ (Luke 6).
But the recent Texas Abortion law got me thinking that read may be wrong.
The horrifically insane law, aside from a complete ban, no-exceptions (read-rape, incest, health of mother..) from 6 weeks (often before a woman knows she’s pregnant), encourages private citizens to sue (yes, a flippin lawsuit) anyone for possibly aiding someone in having an abortion. Think uber driver, accompanying friend, and oh, if you have beef with your neighbor, you could say you saw them help her too. My God.
So much room financial/social/emotional wreckage. The Cruelty is the Point again, and again..
Any bystander who feels transgressed upon by a stranger’s abortion can sue for $10,000, meanwhile, the person sued cannot reclaim legal fees if found not guilty.
The Texas abortion law claims so-called justice on behalf of God, for the sake of so-called family values.
With religous rightwingism growing louder since Trump, many “ex-vangelicals” in the wake, I challenge every Christian to reread Luke 6.
The passage follows persecution from the religious elite when Jesus and friends dared eat without washing their hands. (the scandal!)
Jesus reminds those “bible-readers” (well, the Torah, but bottom line God-fearing, Law-reading people) that King David ate not only bread, but the “holy bread” in the temple when hungry and on then run.
aka: God cares about people and their simplest needs. Rituals and formality be damned.
Luke 6 also notes another Sabbath smackdown as Jesus healed someone in a “Church” on a “Sunday.”
The religious elite were outraged–‘6 days to work, how dare you work (aka heal someone) on the holy day of Rest!’ (Luke : 6-11)
Brother Please.
Maybe Christians thought they were doing well for getting backlash for speaking about Jesus. But maybe everyone else, aka the world, will get the blessing for persecution from those claiming to do it on behalf of God/Jesus/the Bible.
Try this:
“Blessed are you, women trying to family plan, immigrants turned away at borders, children separated from families, transgenders forced to attend prisons of a different gender, gay couples trying to live a life of faithfullness together, the poor who are harassed as lazy and everyone called evil for wanting a more social and fair system for all…blessed are you when they hate, revile, take away your health care, your Dreams, your freedom to choose, your protections, and say they are doing it on My behalf..”
After all, doesn’t “for my name’s sake” mean “on my behalf”?
(Boom.💥)
The religious elite, those who should’ve known God best because they studied his word, grieved God and Jesus the most.
It’s all over the bible.
Don’t Forget: Jesus went ballistic, Not in an abortion clinic, but in a Church on Sunday.*
As religious hatred increases, people and politicians claiming Christ but making policies that seem anti-Christ (aka anti- Love/Kindness/Patience/Peaceful/Gentle/Good..), remember this is part of the Crazy foretold in the Bible as one of many flags for an End Time.
(Book forthcoming, if you’d like to pre-order or crowdfund, holla!).
We may be tempted to hate with the hate we get hit with. The Bible has another twist.
In the same passage, Jesus breaks down some divine:
“As you would have men do to you, do unto others…if you love only them that love you, what do you have? Even “sinners” (haters) love those that love them. If you only do good to those that do good to you, what thank do you have? Even haters do the same.. If you only lend when you hope to receive, don’t haters do the same?”
But love your enemies, do good, lend without hope of return.. and your reward will be great, and you will be the children of the Highest..” (Luke 6:32-36)
Isn’t it about setting the oppressed and the oppressor free?
Dietrich Bonhoeffer tells a story of a madman driving wildly and hitting people in his way. You have to care for the victims. (#NewAmsterdam, I see you). But if he continues and drives up on the curb, striking pedestrians at random, someone needs to stop the madman. (#NewAmsterdam, I still see you <3)
The Texas Abortion law, like so many other laws and policies that seek to subvert, hurt and be cruel (remember how water became illegal at Election poll lines?) is an abomination.
But keep looking out for one another, keep fighting the good fight, and try to never lose sight of love. Some can be so sold-out for their religious “cause” and fall just like the Pharisees in the days of Jesus.
The blind cannot lead the blind lest both fall in the ditch. <3
*Jesus went ballistic in a “Church” (well the Temple of God at that time, attended by supposedly God-fearing,God-knowing people of the day.)
