My heart breaks when there is separation–when couples separate, when peoples decide to separate into hatred against each other. This week I’ve heard two talks based on stories from Luke’s gospel. One was based on the story of Zacchaeus, the “wee little man” of kid’s song lore. He was a tax collector and “sinner.” The other talk was actually based on three stories in response to the religious leaders’ criticism that Jesus hung out with “sinners.” The three stories from Luke 15 regard the lost sheep, the lost coin and the lost son.
Now, when one group labels another group “sinner,” that must mean that there are two groups–them and us. They are sinners, while we are, evidently “not-sinners.” We’re perfect, in touch with God, in fact blessed by God. They are not. Jesus said that is not true. God loves sinners and fervently wants to “find” them. In fact, God says everyone is a sinner. In reality, there is only one group–sinners. That’s all of us. When we forget that, then sin has entered us.
I thought about this after reading a couple of news reports this week. First was a Lutheran pastor who has separated from his church because they are letting “sinners” into the ministry. Sorry, but I think I detect a couple of sins by interpreting his comments–in him. He’s classifying people into the good guys (him, of course) and the bad guys (people he doesn’t like). Instead of bringing healing, like Jesus did, he is bringing division. And I think division grieves God’s soul.
The other item is the hatred popping up in New York because a Muslim group wants to build a cultural center in lower Manhattan. One group says that having anything to do with Muslims in the area is an affront to the memory of those who died in the tragic attacks of Sept. 11. But that is to divide people again–and probably falsely. There are Muslim (or call themselves that anyway) terrorists. They have perpetrated some horrendous deeds. On the other hand, there are Christian terrorists (or call themselves that anyway) who go around killing people they don’t like. No one reading this would say all Christians are terrorists because we have a few who go over the edge. Likewise to call all Muslims terrorists because of a few is a travesty.
These divisions grieve me. I have friends from around the world who are spiritual, but from within their home religious traditions. To classify them as less than human or less than spiritual grieves the heart. Only when we can be like Jesus and get over those classifications and realize we’re all in this together will we start the healing process that will bring everyone to God.
The theology sounds simple–it’s them vs. us. But the reality is, in the words of the comic strip Pogo, “We have met the enemy, and he is us.”
Tags: forgiveness, Love, religion, spirit
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