Letting Easter Really Change Us

 

Tomorrow is Easter.  We celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, the defeat of death, the freedom he brought.  It’s a good day.

I would love to just sit here and reflect on Easter more, but I can’t.  My heart is broken.  And sadly, the church has done it.  Not all, but enough that it grieves me to my core.

Recently, my home state suffered an outbreak of tornadoes, again.  They are happening more frequently and with more ferocity.  Massive wedge tornadoes gliding over mountains never happened when I was a kid.  It happens now.  Areas, affluent areas, never threatened were devastated along with areas that have been dubbed part of tornado alley longer than I’ve been alive. These areas are not as affluent.  While I was so saddened to see friends’ homes damaged or destroyed, I was taken aback by a comment I saw from an acquaintance. There was a photo from above of her neighborhood.  The caption was along the lines of “see, see how blessed I am. See how much God loves us.  Please keep our neighbors in your prayers.”

Now, absolutely, yes, she is a blessed, loved child of God.  Without a doubt.  But to compare yourself to your neighbors and their suffering by the “oh how blessed am I” mentality makes me want to vomit. YES you are blessed.  And feel free to say that, but remember for one second that your neighbor, who’s house was obliterated, is also blessed and equally loved by God.

This among other things like mean-spirited and insensitive comments about immigrants, the devastating attacks on people of color, the gutting of voting rights, the treatment of the LGBTQ community like they are not even human, has gotten me boiling in some circumstances and bawling in others.  But it brought me to this:

THIS IS ABOUT EVERYONE.

If anything we should learn on Easter Sunday is that “it” is absolutely not all about you.  Jesus did not come to save just you. Nope. He came to love on and to save every single one of us.  That means: black, yellow, brown, white, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, non-binary, poor, wealthy, stupidly wealthy. Every damn one of us.  It is just not okay to see people compare themselves and think, I deserve these rights, but they don’t. NOPE.

What is this about? 

If you’re a Christian, it is about your responsibility to love every single person. Do you have to understand them? No.  Do you have to agree with everything they say or do? No.  Do you have a responsibility to stand up for them when others are working tirelessly to make them less? Absolutely, you do.

If we don’t you’re part of the problem. Maybe not the actual doer of the deed, but if we’re not working against injustice, racism, bigotry, inhumane treatment, and working for help, love, support, then yes we are part of the problem.

What do we do?

I wish I knew what the best thing, the most effective, the most bang-for-your-buck (or time) thing to do is.  I have been racking my brain over this.  We give financially.  We support the “minority” community here in ways we can.  My husband and I have discussed what we can do effectively if there are elections happening where voting rights have been negatively affected by unfair legislation.  We talk about this with my son.  We talk about this with friends.  So we are aware, but what do we DO?

I write.  My blog impacts so many (haha).  I have uncomfortable conversations with people I love. 

I think the first things we can practically do are to do what God asked us to do. He gave us a mandate: #1.  Love God.  Which is sometimes kind of hard let’s face it. Especially when “Christians” are HATING on those who are different.  And #2.  Love God’s kids. And by God’s kids, I mean- if they’re breathing and have a heartbeat, God’s kids.

You cannot love God and hate others. You cannot.  They are diametrically opposed to one another in theory and in action. 

So tomorrow, as we celebrate Easter, as we celebrate the Resurrection of Christ, the freedom he bought, the grace he gave, the mercy he poured out, let us take a lesson on love.  If he is the example we are to follow (flashback, WWJD), then take a moment to realize how his LOVE was poured out for every singe person to walk on this earth, ever.  That means immigrants. That means people in prison. That means people of color. That means people who look different than you do. That means people in the LGBTQ community. God means everyone, especially those who society treats like crap.  To quote Jen Hatmaker in Simple & Free (study guide), “He is stunningly concerned with the marginalized, and He is always, always burrowing deeply into our hearts, our motives, the way we think, the reasons we move.” (emphasis mine)

If Jesus, if God is “stunningly concerned” with those society says are trash, shouldn’t we take that as a big cue that we should too? 

So this week, moving forward, I’m challenging anyone who will take it on, message me please.  Step out of your comfort zone and do something loving to one God would be “stunningly concerned” with.  Heck, make it a life goal.  I have, and it has changed my life.  Am I where I want to be in the little project, nope, but I am working hard.  I’m asking myself, how can I do more, what can I say, where can I go, because if God is concerned with it, than I am too.  This is the justice work.  This is the love work Jesus exhibited on the Cross for us.  Let Easter really change us this year.