Tag: America and Worldview Page 6 of 9

“But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbor?'”

This is not a political post.  This is not about Trump.  This is not about what you think about Trump’s views on immigration and refugees.  Please don’t try to convince me one way or another.  I have read the executive order, I do have some (varied) opinions, but that’s not what this is about.

This is about what we are commanded to do as Christians.  Because even if you think that the government should deport every illegal immigrant, even if you believe that for the safety of our country, no Muslim should ever be allowed in ever again, you still have a responsibility before God to aggressively love the refugees, Muslims, and immigrants (even illegal ones) who are already in your community.

And they are there.  They might not be your literal neighbors, because they often tend to keep to themselves (who wouldn’t, under their circumstances?).  But they are in communities all throughout the United States.

Here’s where the Syrian refugees have been resettled.  Source, New York Times.

Here’s where the Somali refugees have been (recently) resettled.  Source, WND.

And here’s where the Iraqi refugees are living.  Source:  CDC.

You might not see them every day.  They might live in different parts of town and shop in different stores.  But they are there, and probably not too far away.  You might need to make an effort to find them, by shopping where they shop, or perhaps checking out a website likethis one or this one.

They are our neighbors.  And since loving our neighbors is the second-greatest commandment (according to Jesus himself), we have an obligation to love them–regardless of our political views.

I wonder how many immigrants and refugees have never stepped foot into a white American home.

I wonder how many are struggling with language, with American culture and transportation and cooking, who have lost literally everything and have nothing, and yet are being ignored by Jesus’ Church.

What an incredibly, pathetically, wasted opportunity.

I realize I am biased here.  After living all these years overseas, if I ever moved back to the States, the first people I would run to would be immigrants and refugees.  They would be my people.  They would be where I would feel comfortable.  I would long to live in their neighborhoods and it wouldn’t be a sacrifice for me.  But I realize that’s because I already have African friends and Muslim friends and Asian friends and they are not strange or different or scary to me.  They are hospitable and curious and absolutely fascinating.

So can I just assure you that once you get to know a person from a strange country, I promise that you will find more similarities than differences?  That you will find mamas who fret about what they feed their children and dads who like to tickle and you will find fear and hope and joy and all the things you are familiar with.  You will learn so much, and you will be indescribably blessed.

Whatever your political views, don’t let it get in the way of Jesus’ command to love your neighbor.

“‘Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?’

The expert in the law replied, ‘The one who had mercy on him.’

Jesus told him, ‘Go and do likewise.'”

I tried to stay out of this election on social media.  I read a lot and prayed a lot and discussed a lot with face-to-face friends, but I tried to stay out of the online discussion.

I knew that no matter what position I took–literally any position–I would offend some friends. In fact, I probably offended some people just by keeping my mouth shut.  This time around, there wasn’t any middle ground where you could hang out and feel smugly comfortable.

And this week, because of the Women’s March and the Roe v. Wade Anniversary, it’s been all about abortion.  But before that it was refugees and race and transgenderism.  And it seems like whatever opinion you have, someone will tell you that you’re wrong, even if they are nice about it.  There’s just no general consensus about anything these days.  Even (especially?) among Christians.

I’m guessing everyone is feeling pretty battle weary right now.  I can tell because I keep seeing memes that say things like, “Can’t we all just get along?”  All the arguing is exhausting, isn’t it?

And yes, we can–and should–love each other.  There should be absolutely no place in public or private discussion for name-calling and shaming and just plain meanness.  The End.  Yet, does that mean that we stop the discussion altogether?  That in the name of “love” we just all keep our opinions to ourselves?

The thing is, that’s just not the way it works.  If you think Trump is dangerous, then you can’t help but speak up.  If you think he’s awesome, then you feel compelled to defend him.  If you believe abortion is murder, then you need to say that loudly.  If you believe that abortion is an important woman’s health issue, well, then you need to advocate for it.  Sometimes, speaking up is an expression of love.  For a lot of us, that’s why we do it.  It’s really not about needing to be right.

So how then do we disagree with each other productively?  I don’t know.  I honestly don’t know, and I would love to hear your thoughts.  Social media tends to be a terrible way to interact with people, yet it’s the primary way these days that people communicate ideas that are important to them.  Through all the rabble and the screaming, I certainly have refined my thinking because of online articles and discussions.  So it’s obviously not a complete waste of time.

I wonder, though, if people would benefit from more opportunities to discuss ideas away from their electronic devices.  Does politics ever get discussed at church?  In Bible studies?  Are God’s people being trained in how to navigate all these difficult issues?  I’ve always said that I would be much more enthusiastic about women’s Bible studies or retreats if they included discussions on politics, culture, and worldview.  But maybe that’s just me.

I don’t know the answer to this problem, which is destined to get worse as we navigate through an increasingly more virtual world.  But this is my piece of advice:  Explore your own worldview, be consistent with it, and know the worldview of the person you are talking to.  Every person has a worldview–whether they’ve thought about it or not.  If it’s not a particular religion, then it’s science, self-fulfillment, or some kind of mixture.  We all need to be confident of the underlying building blocks of what we believe, or there’s no way we can defend it to others.  Understanding worldview is the key to figuring out what you believe and why, and how to start engaging the people around you.

Start with this super-easy, super-fast book (like, less than an hour), and give it to your friends who enjoy deep discussion.

What’s Your Worldview?  An Interactive Approach to Life’s Big Questions by James N. Anderson

And then read this one, because really and truly, every single Christian needs to read and understand the things in this book.  It doesn’t tell you what to think, it teaches you how to think.  And if we can’t do that, we’re never going to have a prayer of figuring out all that’s bombarding us.

Finding Truth:  5 Principles for Unmasking Atheism, Secularism and Other God Substitutes by Nancy Pearcey

I am confident that a lot of the things I write offend some of my readers.  Most of you are just too nice and too polite to disagree with me in a public forum.  So let me just assure you:  I love to discuss anything I’ve written about by email.  Please, please feel free to email me (everyoneneedsalittlegrace@gmail.com) with questions, concerns, disagreements, and corrections.  I love interacting with people through writing–especially when it’s one-on-one and not the mess of Facebook.  I love robust discussion.  I learn from it, and I hope you can too.

As a TCK (third culture kid) growing up overseas, I used to be anti-American.  A lot of TCKs are. They see their childhood home overseas as perfect, and America as full of a bunch of shallow, materialistic, boring, couch potatoes.

Um, sorry about that.  I could make excuses for my teenage self, that it was all a part of finding my identity between two worlds, but really I was sometimes just an arrogant snob.

I’ve grown up a lot since then.  I don’t see things in black and white; I know better than to idealize any particular culture or country or ethnicity.  All have beauty; all have been ruined; all can be redeemed.  I’ve also realized that I am much more American than I would like to admit.

And actually, living overseas as an adult has made me much more appreciative of America.  That’s what I’m thinking about today, this very significant day in American history.

I’m thinking about Zimbabwe, where the 92-year-old Mugabe is planning on running for president again–in another sham election–in a country he has held (and destroyed) in his iron fist for 36 years.  

I am thankful I am from a country where I can have a strong degree of confidence that elections are fair and ethical, and where every citizen is allowed to vote.

I read about Gambia today, where the president is refusing to step downin spite of losing a fair election, and violence is imminent.  

I’m thankful I am from a country where despite the fact that the past administration and the new administration couldn’t possibly be more different, that we can expect a peaceful transfer of power.  None of us are worried that Obama is going to change the Constitution so that he can retain power.  No one has given thought to a military coup taking over the country, which most recently was attempted in Burundi when the president insisted on running for a third term.

I’m thinking about South Sudan, South Africa, Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone, Burundi, Uganda, and Ethiopia where journalists are in constant danger, and some have lost their lives.  

I am thankful I am from a country where journalists–and ordinary people–can vocally and aggressively speak, write, and publish their opposition to the government and not fear being arrested for it. 

I know there might be some of you out there who are protesting, But…but…but…!  Yes.  I know.  We have big problems, and some of them are huge.  Listen–I’m comparing America to the rest of the world.  We still have a lot of work to do.  But there is a reason we have an immigration problem in America:  Everyone wants what we have.  Those of us who do have it should be incredibly grateful.

I know that this is a weird day in America.  Some are rejoicing; some are despairing.  As for myself, I am neither.  I am bracing myself for the worst and hoping for the best.  Our president is neither Jesus nor the anti-Christ.  America, in all it’s greatness, is just one more blip on the screen of history.  After all, God doesn’t owe me the American Dream.  Maybe our country as we know it will last only a few more years, maybe hundreds.  For those of us who claim citizenship in heaven, that is not what’s most important.

*All pictures are from the Epic Road Trip of 2013.