If They're Not Against Us, They're For Us...

Stained Glass
Originally uploaded by paynehollow

Those who aren't against us are for us?

Isn't that backwards? If we've learned nothing during the Bush years, isn't it that, "If you're not FOR us, you're AGAINST us?" I mean, isn't that his whole legacy?

Well, that favorite philosopher of Bush - Jesus - did utter that saying once, but Jesus also said it the opposite way. In Mark 9, we see the boys on a journey...

They came to Capernaum and, once inside the house, he began to ask them, "What were you arguing about on the way?" But they remained silent. They had been discussing among themselves on the way who was the greatest.

Then he sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them, "If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all."

Taking a child he placed it in their midst, and putting his arms around it he said to them, "Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but the one who sent me."

John said to him, "Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us."

Jesus replied, "Do not prevent him. There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name who can at the same time speak ill of me. For whoever is not against us is for us. Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ, amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward.

"Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe (in me) to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were put around his neck and he were thrown into the sea."

So, what? Shall we call Jesus a liar? Shall we say, "Anyone who gives a cup of cold water to one in need will not lose his reward - UNLESS, that is, he is a Democrat. Or a Republican. Or a Muslim. Or just anyone that we don't like..."??

I've seen many complaints here lately about Obama's former pastor, Jeremiah Wright. Now, I knew nothing of the man before this month and now, all I know are the little excerpts of sermons that I've heard or read.

But there are many, it seems, foaming at the mouth claiming he's not a Christian, that he's a false teacher, a teacher of hate and racism. When I've asked people what exactly Wright has said that makes them make such a strong charge, they've been reluctant to produce an exact quote, preferring to say, "If you can't see he's obviously an American-hating racist, then there's a problem with you!!"

Whoever receives a child in my name, receives me. Whoever gives a cup of cold water will receive his reward. If they're not against us, they're for us.

Could it be that one difference between some of us is that some tend towards Jesus' saying "If you're not for me, you're against me" (in Matthew 12) while others of us tend towards Jesus' saying "Those who aren't against us are for us"?

I tend to include those who claim to be God followers as a brother or a sister. Now, if they take actions that aren't Godly (encouraging hate, spreading rumors, bearing false witness), I will tell them that they've strayed from the way. But that is not the same as my saying, "You're not on the same team! You hate America! You're not a Christian!!"

Others seem to tend to be more quick to jump to the opposite conclusion. "I don't like the way that sounds, this fella must be a traitor, a communist, not a christian!"

In the case of Reverend Wright, I'll have to say that some of the snippets I've read and heard (out of context) sound more divisive or argumentative than I think is healthy for a strong community. His words have sometimes sounded a bit like Us against Them kind of thinking.

Now, I will say that most of what I've heard from him - even in these snippets selected to make him sound bad - I've tended to agree with. It's just how he's expressed it that I have some reservations with.

But short of some solid quote where he is expressing anti-Christian, ungodly thoughts, I would gladly tend to include him in my circle of faith community. He's not against Us, seems to me. He's for us. For the US, for the body of Christ, for the world community, for the poor and oppressed.

So why the animosity and presumption of guilt on the part of some?

He sure seems to be on the same team to me.

You think?