Time for Us to Admit God Plays No Favorites

I don’t spend as much time pondering theology as I once did, but I’ve long believed that if the this doctrine called “original sin” makes any sense at all (and I have my doubts), it’s as an admission there will be times when the interests of two well intentioned people collide. When they do, the tendency to act in our own interest -- rather than defer to the equally just interest of the other -- might be a flaw in our design that could fit the definition of original sin. Of course, this human tendency could be seen as biological, nothing more than an expression of our survival instinct. And maybe it’s not even inevitable. You can find examples of people overcoming the inclination to put ourselves first. Jesus comes to mind.

An article in Saturday’s New York Times (Young Israelis Resist Challenges to Settlements) offers a good example of dueling views over a claim to justice. The story tells of a particular house in the West Bank and 17 acres of adjoining land planted mostly with olive and almond trees. The land belongs to a Palestinian family, but they can’t so much as harvest olives from their trees without threats of harm from the young Israelis. The young settlers have occupied the house and are renovating it. This action -- taking the house and land -- is illegal under Israeli law, but sympathy for the settler community runs deep and in this case no one has taken action against them.

Many young Israeli settlers are deeply idealistic and religious. Generally admirable people. They are, no doubt, consistently caring in their relationships with each other. And most westerners, especially Christians given the part we’ve played in an abusive history, are instinctively sympathetic to both the Jews and Israelis. Still, I believe intellectual honestly, if not justice, would be better served if the settlers would just step forward and say, “Yes, this Palestinian family has a just complaint. They are being treated with great unfairness, but I can’t help it. In this case I’m simply going to put my own interests first.” That would be understandable, and human.

But that’s not what they’ve done. Instead, they’ve appropriated God for themselves, as if the Palestinians are not also part of God’s creation, declaring that they don’t really care whether this family loses its rights or is forced to become refugees in a foreign land. In fact, that’s their very recommendation for them. Worse yet, rather than accept their own selfish humanity, a spokesperson tries to put it off on God: “God gave this (land) to us,” he said. “Now that we’re here, I don’t think we’re going to move.”

In fairness to the young Israelis, the idea that God can be made small and limited to a particular land or nation is just as rampant among Christians in America where “for God and country“ is still a favorite theme. Mitt Romney is not the only politician to seek advantage from draping the flag over the cross. The idea of “gods” who reside in a certain land, favoring their resident nations is a primitive concept prevalent throughout the world in the years prior to Christ. This is one of the misunderstandings swept away by Jesus’ teachings. Recognizing that God plays no favorites is an absolute prerequisite to God’s values of peace, justice and compassion taking hold throughout creation. Nothing less should be tolerated: whether in America or in Israel and the West Bank.

Is it Time for Combative Christians to Seek Peace?

It has happened before. Allies who once marched together now moving apart, one choosing reconciliation while the other continues on the path of confrontation. Recent articles reflect that possibility for two of the powerful online voices of American Evangelicalism.

Earlier this week Focus on the Family’s CitizenLink.com published an account of its continuing war with the American Psychological Association (APA) over Focus’s insistence that gays and lesbians choose between their sexual orientation and their faith. But just as we were about to scream “give it a rest” to combative Christian conservatives, Christianity Today.com offered a sensitive suggestion we Christians stop asking Jews and other non-Christians to say “Merry Christmas” or else get off the planet for the holiday season. Enough of this “War on Christmas” chatter they said; to which we say “Amen.”

Written by Ted Olsen, the Christianity Today piece (titled Do They Know It’s Hanukkah?) mocks the passion of self-appointed defenders of Christmas:

“One organization is selling bumper stickers that read, "This is America! And I'm going to say it: Merry Christmas!" and "Merry Christmas! An American Tradition." (I don't remember the American part of the Christmas story, but I haven't re-read Luke 2 yet this year.) Also for sale: "Just Say Merry Christmas" bracelets. ("They're guaranteed to ward off the evil spirits of the ACLU grinches," says the ad.) Just say Merry Christmas? To everyone? Regardless of whether they actually celebrate Jesus' birth?

Olsen goes on to tell two stories of Hanukkah -- one the historic Jewish tale of revolt and miraculous victory, the second a story of Christ recorded in John’s Gospel of Jesus walking in the temple during the Feast of Dedication, a festival derived from the victory celebrated in Hanukkah. Because Jesus is already known as a religious revolutionary, his very presence in the temple provokes the established religious leaders, and his words push them to the edge. They insist angrily that he tell them plainly if he is claiming to be the Christ. Jesus sidesteps the showdown they would force on him, saying, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. You do not believe because you are not part of my flock.”

So, Olsen offers advice on the “Christmas Wars” that works in most situations: Be like Jesus. “The Jewish Hanukkah story is one of triumph over a culture that wanted to force the Jews to assimilate against their will. The Christian Hanukkah story is one that starts with Jesus asking provocative questions, but retreating rather than forcing the issue.
To insist that non-Christians say "Merry Christmas" instead of "Happy Holidays" runs against the lessons of both Hanukkah stories.”

That ‘live and let live” attitude might be a good one for Focus on the Family to take in its war against the APA. We’ve all seen what happens when science is forced to conform to religion. Instead of spending so much energy visiting guilt on gays and lesbians they would be better served to visit the heart of their own faith. They might discover there’s joy to be had in taking Olsen’s advice to be more like Jesus.