Do
We Defend the Victims?
“The King will reply, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of
the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ –
Matthew 25:40
“He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one
of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
– Matthew 25:45
Our faith is most
revealed in how we treat people who aren’t like us, people who disagree with
us, people who are marginalized, people who can’t do anything for us.
Do you call people “stupid”
because they disagree with you? Do you view people who are from a different
country as “thieves” or “terrorists”? Do use throw out racial slurs toward someone
who looks different than you? Do you make off-color jokes about someone of the
opposite sex? Do you laugh and go along with anyone who does any of the things
I’ve mentioned?
You are a bully. You
are fueling hate. You are not living Jesus. Are you sure you even know Him in
your heart?
Harsh words. I know. It’s
past time I stood up and called it what it is. I don’t care how many times you
praise Jesus. If you’re also calling people names just because they’re
different than you or putting people down because they see issues differently,
then you are a hater and Jesus has no part in your life.
I have tried to stay
out of the political fray. Most of my friends are staunch Republicans. Many of
them strongly support Donald Trump. I do not. I never have. It’s not about
politics for me. Trump is an arrogant bully. He always has been. I will likely
never understand how anyone could support and, thus, condone his behavior.
Trump calls people who
disagree with him all types of names – and his supporters applaud his words.
Trump seeks to destroy anyone who tries to thwart his agenda – and his
supporters applaud his actions. Trump doesn’t care about democracy or diplomacy.
He cares only about himself and that’s truly dangerous.
I know. He talks about
God. Sometimes he goes to church. But please reread the book of James. What
evidence do you see in Trump’s life that he actually lives for Jesus? Works and
words may not save us but they surely reveal the heart.
What has prompted me to
voice my opinions? What has made me realize I can no longer remain silent in
order to keep the peace in my own life? A 16-year-old girl died last week.
Suicide. Because she was ruthlessly bullied by kids who think it’s okay to
destroy someone who is different, someone who is weaker, someone they can hurt
with words and threats and cruelty.
We are teaching our
children it’s okay to be a bully. Every time we open our mouths and call
someone a name because they view issues differently, we teach our kids it’s
okay to down someone who likes a different type of music. Every time we laugh
at someone who dresses differently or lives in a “bad” part of town, we are
teaching our children to do the same. It’s your actions that carry the
weightiest lessons. You can tell your children not to bully many times but if
they see you do it, they’ll learn to do it too.
And if you continue to
condone a political figure who bullies others, then you are teaching your
children it’s okay to bully others too. Stop looking through your rose-colored
glasses and start standing up for what is right. Stop talking about Jesus and
start being Him in this world!
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