“Love your neighbor as yourself” does not come with an asterisk

A few nights ago I was at a poetry reading in which one poet read a poem that was a rather graphic condemnation of President Trump, with a shot at President Reagan for good measure. While almost all the listeners cheered and hooted with delight, one couple sat stone-faced. Later, when a group of us got together to talk about the poetry reading, one person explained that he had invited the unhappy couple to the reading, He told us that, after the reading, these two people described how painful it was to hear the two presidents so cruelly mocked. They went on to explain that they were strong supporters of President Trump.

Another member of the our group immediately said, “Please invite them back. And let them bring whatever poems they want to read.” He went on to say that, if we were genuinely committed to free speech, and respectful of the power of poetry to comment on life, and to endeavor to express truth, we ought to be vigilant about our own censorship and rejection of views we do not share.

I am always humbled when I am not at church, and not even among a group of people who identify as Christian, and someone (or the whole group) acts more Christian than we Christians often do. It was interesting, that evening, to see the other group members object to the man’s idea, with groans and expressions of disbelief. But he did not relent, and explained how free speech is nothing but a lovely concept unless people are willing to make room even for viewpoints that offend them.

These days, I worry about preaching, worshipping, and being church in a way that closes off the possibility of interpretations of Scripture that do not align with “The Mt. Baker Park Way” or, worse, “The Lee Way”. But this is something we must guard against. It is no secret that Christians of sincere faith, genuinely seeking to live lives that accord with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, draw vastly different conclusions about what God’s Word is saying to us. I would much rather be part of a church — a particular congregation like MBPPC or the Church universal — that demonstrates grace, especially toward those with whom we disagree.

“Love your neighbor as yourself” does not come with an asterisk indicating that the word “neighbor” is the same as the words “who believe exactly the way you do.”

In Christ,
Lee