This is not my line, but comes from Jerry Falwell, via a local blog I read regularly, Birmingham Blues (http://www.queervoice.net/kmcmullen/). Falwell made the statement in talking about the justification of nuclear weapons, a particularly egregious misreading of Jesus, in my opinion. But the post at Birmingham Blues hit the mark solidly in that one line.
Jesus was not a coward.
In the Deep South, this conjures up an image of the tough guy Jesus, flipping tables over in the Temple and perhaps yelling. Or the brawny jesus as carpenter, unafraid of a little hard work. These images stand in contrast to the oft-portrayed softer Jesus, tender and filled with love and compassion.
Jesus was not a coward. Jesus was tough. Jesus could definitely be an 'in your face' kind of guy.
Falwell might imply that Jesus was all for defending your own, with nuclear weapons if needed. But that's not the courage Jesus demonstrates in the Gospel. Jesus' bravery, his unwavering courage, was in his constant call to love. Love our neighbors. Love our enemies. Love one another. Love God. Love ourselves. No matter what life presents us, no matter what others do or say, we are called to love.
That's tough, in every sense. Not the words of a coward.
When I teach the Confirmation class on Ethics in my parish, though I talk about morality and ethical systems, historically and in the tradition, I come back to a single guiding moral value, that of love. Above all else, we must act in love. If we can do that, we have nothing else to worry about. There are no other moral values, no other ethical choices.
That's not to say that acting in love is easy. There is 'tough love' though it seems to me that most people who talk about tough love seem to enjoy acting in tough love far too much. It is reminiscent of "hate the sin, love the sinner" behavior. Nonetheless, oftentimes love is hard. It's hard to determine what action is most loving and even more often it's just plain hard to show love to some people.
We are both surrounded with opportunities to love and love to accept from others. May my eyes be always open to see both, and may I have the courage to love unrelentingly.
-David
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4 comments:
What a wonderful post! Thanks for the link back to my place.
Excellent post! It is too bad that Jesus has been turned into a ruffian by the likes of Falwell. And, that "strength" and "power" are usually defined only in terms of "might" and "dominance".
True, deep Shalom to you!
Kathy - Thanks! And I'm glad your "Dear Husband" posted. He is this unseen, unheard, but very real presence in so many of your posts. He has quite a voice of his own.
I never go a day without checking Birmingham Blues. I can always count on getting a bit of insight into some of the craziness surrounding us!
Joe - Shalom to you as well! The truest meaning of living into God's call is that experience of shalom and I hope and pray that as you continue your walk, you will more and more be surrounded and infused with that wholeness that is your true being.
Thanks for this post... now I am left, again, with the question: when I consider the turmoil coming out to my kids and the very strong possibility of ending my marriage, I wonder how this can be an act of love?
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