Last Sunday’s worship service included Jesus’ teaching on loving our enemies. At a time when authoritarian leadership is on the rise, this seems like a tall order from Jesus. Even more, is His advice really even humane? For oppressed persons to do good to their oppressor? If you face any form of discrimination at the hands of the privileged who abuse their power, then just deal with it? Is this really what Jesus meant? Of course not. What Jesus is teaching us is how to confront evil and resist evil without becoming evil ourselves. In the sermon, I shared that the late theologian Walter Wink helps exegete and explain this passage from Luke’s gospel. You can find the video I referenced of Wink teaching below.
We are living in a time of great division. Jesus was no stranger to seasons of political unrest and division and is forever calling us into a life of compassion. Compassion often looks like listening to others and having an openness to learn. I think back to the Super Bowl weeks ago and the number of white people who said they didn’t like or understand Kendrick Lamar’s halftime show. In an article by Black journalist Leslie Gray Streeter, she addresses white people writing “not everything is for you” (The Baltimore Banner). The show’s important message was about historic and systemic racism. I was especially struck by one powerful image in the show. People were dressed up and lined up to create the American flag. Kendrick Lamar stood between them. This visual of division has stayed with me.
