Slideshow image

Crippled and Compassionate Christ Part 2:

What would it look like to make the term ‘Christian’ more accessible to those whose faith has been impaired (or even disabled or amputated) by the blasphemy of so-called White Christian Nationalism? I believe that White (NOT) Christian Nationalism is the most severely harmful evil force of spiritual wickedness that is cutting off fruitful Kin-dom building at the knees. The severing one nation from the rest of the global Body of Christ and lifting it up as holier than others is the very action that cripples the life-giving nature of the Spirit.

I believe solidarity with those who are suffering at the hands of systematic sins is key to equipping us in conveying the unbounded love of Jesus the Liberator! The wise and compassionate Richard Rohr illustrates “the acceptance of that invitation to solidarity with the larger pain of the world is what it means to be a Christian.” Sympathy can be a superpower that transforms suffering into solidarity. When people realize you truly care they become curious as to why. Which opens up a way to share the Gospel through acts of compassion rather than through judgement laced with politics. Instead let us model the faith of the friends of the paralytic in Luke 5:17-26. Take a minute and read this story. The reaction of the crowd in verse 26 is something to strive for, “Amazement seized all of them, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, ‘We have seen strange things today.’”

Is it strange to see acts of sacrifice and compassion today? I’m honored to my core to say that at FUMC Farmersville it is not strange at all! What does seem strange to me is the reactions of those neighbors we are blessed to be resourced to aid. They often tell me that they had been turned away several other places, usually for reasons that seem to stem from the organization(s) deeming them unworthy of help for a variety of xenophobic reasons. Even folks who want to volunteer to do the right thing by society and serve Community Service Hours often tell us how thankful they are to have found somewhere in Collin County that allows them to serve! How strange is that!!? How disabling is that?! These members of our society know they have trespassed and want to ‘right the wrong’ by doing a small part to make the world a better place. They are required to serve a certain number of Community Service Hours by the Justice System which I fully support as a means of rehabilitation preferable to jail time for all involved, especially the tax payer. Then they are told by charitable organizations, whose mission(s) I assume have to be for the common good, that their help is not wanted.

Is it a possible reality that so many charities are so flooded with willing volunteers that they can afford to turn away folks who are actually required to help somewhere? Or are whatever organizations that are denying themselves the aid of folks working off Community Service Hours actually handicapping their own mission?

As we contemplate how to proclaim a crippled and compassionate Christ to our hurting world, one practical simple thing we can all do is follow the words of the Christian woman, prolific philanthropist, education advocate, library founder and country singer, Dolly Patron, “if you see someone without a smile, give them yours.” What would our world look like if everyone practiced that say every weekday from say 9to5!? Wouldn’t that be a better way to “make a living” than working for the Empire of White Christian Nationalism?!