Excerpts from
Hate Crimes and Jesus:
Standing Firm in Love
A Sermon by Pastor John © Sept. 1999 (revised 8-3-2006)
http://www.allfaith.com/Grace/hate.html
The teachings of Jesus have a lot to offer us in the area of hate and hate crimes. After all, he was an innocent victim of a terrible, fatal hate crime himself! Jesus was ridiculed, tortured and murdered because his religious and political belief did not match up with those of his people and the occupation government then ruling Palestine.
We sometimes want to "Do unto others before they do unto us." We are paranoid, afraid of what we don't understand and so we sometimes lash out. Sometimes when we feel insecure about who we are as individuals we "Do unto others as we think we deserve to have done unto us." By making someone else look "lower" we assume that we look "higher" by contrast. Sometimes we do this with cute little phrases like "There but for the grace of God go I" or one of my favorites, "I hate the sin, but I love the sinner!" Smug little phrases meant to elevate us in the esteem of others, and ourselves. Since I am better than you are, I must be OK! What nonsense!
Scripture says at Acts 17:26:
"From one person God made every nation of people, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and God determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live."
We are all sisters and brothers, children in the one human family.
Someone might argue, "Yes, but we are not all alike and we have to watch out for "them!" "They" are not like "us." "We're" the good guys!
My dear Lord, how boring life would be without diversity! Yet "different" does not mean "dangerous!" Salt and pepper compliment each other! Night and day follow each other; high and low define each other. So too with the human family, our diversity gives us many flavors and alternatives. It makes us unique and interesting.
Jesus taught at Matthew 5:38-48:
"You have heard that it was said, `Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'
But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. God causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?
And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what are you doing more than others? Do not even unchurched do that?
Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect
16 And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding?
17 Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?
18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.
19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
20 These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man
Where there is hatred,
Let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is error, truth;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
And where there is sadness, Joy.
O Divine Master grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled
As to console;
To be understood, as to understand;
To be loved, as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
