Talking the Talk
How can the ideals of Christianity be so far from the reality? Must there be so much “talking the talk” and so little “walking the walk?”
When Jesus was asked what was the greatest commandment, he said simply: Love God with your whole heart and love your neighbor as yourself. People didn’t really want to hear that stuff about loving one’s neighbor, so they asked him what he meant by “neighbor.” He made it very clear that he meant everyone, including people considered undesirable by the social norms of the time.
Jesus’ words were utterly revolutionary. To follow Jesus means to love and respect all people. No exceptions, no exclusions.
But humans want to compare and judge and exclude people they don’t particular like. So the excuses creep in and there are exceptions made. We may sing songs about how “they will know we are Christians by our love” but that’s not always happening in groups of believers. Somehow the words of Jesus get twisted around completely backward and are used to exclude from the Christian club various groups of “inferior” people. Once we’ve driven the others out of the church, then we’ll be feeling the love.
Think of Pat Robertson’s response to the earthquake in Haiti. He said that God was punishing them for years of devil worship. Seriously Pat? Did you not read your Bible, especially the parts about loving one’s neighbor or not judging others lest you be judged yourself? Perhaps someone needs to tell a the story of “the good Haitian.”
Jesus’ teachings and practices were revolutionary. He picked mostly incompetent people to in his band of disciples, and often made room for all kinds of outcasts in his group. He even valued women as leaders in the church. He pushed the ideal of loving one’s neighbor far beyond the social norms of his time. He pushed enough that it got him killed.