Commands for Me, Not for Thee

“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?- Luke 6:46

It's now February, and the newly elected President of the United States has been in office for nearly two weeks. Naturally, with the change in administration, there's quite a bit of political debate working around social media. Everyone has an opinion and social media channels make it easy for those opinions to be shared and debated. A thousand different angles on significant political issues like government spending, immigration, foreign aid, foreign policy, or domestic economic issues are argued everywhere people are gathered. Though politics has always been messy, the internet's widespread use has only helped keep politics at the forefront of people's minds. Where in the past, we might have been aware of the more significant political issues, we could always turn the TV or radio off and go about our daily lives without having to obsess over what's happening in Washington. Those days seem increasingly distant.

Lately, I've been reading various debates occurring on social media concerning a couple of Biblical ideas, such as what the parable of the Good Samaritan means or whether there's a pecking order for love (ordo amoris as detailed by Thomas Aquinas in "Summa Theologica"). A common thread in many of these debates is the idea of love and how Jesus's command to love our neighbors should be applied, especially concerning government policy on immigration. Is it hateful not to accept anyone who comes knocking at our country's border? Are we disobeying Jesus by deporting people who have crossed the border illegally? Does ordo amoris mean we should love our families and friends more than complete strangers? If so, how do we apply love fairly? Are we opposing Christ by voting for one political candidate or party over another? Who should we be voting for if we're Christians?

Debates like these tend to miss the key point of following Christ. We’re swinging with all of our strength and with the best of intentions, but we're swinging and missing because we've taken our eye off the ball. Christians on both sides of the aisle are lining up at the plate and striking out. Our homerun hit, and the resolution to all our debates lies at the center of who we are as Christians and what we're called to do. A faithful follower of Christ is someone whose sins have been forgiven because Jesus stood in their place. Christians are free. We live through the trials and tribulations of this life because we know that we can stand confidently in the face of God without worry. We have been forgiven, and the reward of peace, joy, love, happiness, and perfect bliss awaits us. While we're still here on this earth, we are called to follow Christ's commands, study our Bibles, and pray. We are called to live, think, and act right, as shown to us in the Bible and taught to us by the Holy Spirit. We are called to lead others to Christ by our words and actions. At the center of all this is love: Love for God the Father and our neighbors.

Considering who we are as Christians and what we're called to do, let us reconsider other questions concerning politics. What is the Christian position on immigration, and who should we vote for? Which policy is the Christian policy? Which party or politician is the Christian party or candidate? This is where we keep swinging and missing. This is where we miss the point and strike out. We’re asking these questions and looking out into the stands instead of keeping our eye on the ball.

The Bible doesn't set out a list of commands for the government. It isn't an outline for government programs or border control policies. The commands Jesus gave are personal. Taking care of the poor is a directive for you and me. Loving our neighbors is what we, as individuals, are called to do. Voting for the candidate who supports the most government assistance programs for low-income households is not Jesus's command. You, with your personal time and money, are called to take care of the poor. Grandstanding in public about how the country should let more immigrants in is no sacrifice made in love. It's a diffusion of responsibility.

Faithfully following Christ is about your personal actions, not how you vote.

We are called to obey Christ’s commands, and our lives are meant to reflect the salvation we’ve been given. Everything else follows who we are. God is a God of action and purpose. He moves and works, so we are called to move and work. Checking a box on a ballot isn’t demonstrating the love of God. The sacrifice of love is choosing to go hungry yourself to ensure that someone else can eat. The love of Christ is demonstrated when we give up the money we’ve worked hard to earn so that others may be clothed. How we vote or what programs we support is not where our focus should be. In fact, if each of us spent more time feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, being a friend to the friendless, and being kind and generous, then what the government was doing would mean a whole lot less.

What matters is what we do.

If we are Christians, we are called to live as Christ does. Jesus came to heal the broken souls and forgive sins, not to get certain people elected. He commanded that we sacrifice ourselves for others. He didn’t command us to sacrifice others for others. Let’s get our eyes off the stands and back on the ball. Jesus and His commands for our lives are where our focus should be. Now is the time to stop talking and to start acting. Let’s show our neighbors we love them with our deeds. Let’s humble ourselves by sacrificing our needs to meet the needs of others.

It's time to stop using politics to avoid taking any personal responsibility. Nobody gets extra points for saying the right things or getting the most likes on social media. A posterboard sign with a pithy saying doesn’t put food in the stomach of the hungry or provide clothing for the naked. We are called to live peacefully, to be model citizens, and to sacrifice ourselves for the good of others. We are not called to protest and fight, to break windows and set fire to buildings. There’s no need to march in the streets when our souls are marching towards Heaven.

The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.- Exodus 14:14

Love is not a theoretical concept. It is an action. It is a personal action. Now is the time to act. Live for Christ and work hard for Him, and you will be rewarded. A country full of people sacrificing themselves in the name of love is a beautiful country. It's a country that might start seeing its politicians do the same. We are meant to be the example. Let’s stop debating and start acting.

Our elected officials are not our leaders. We are the leaders.

The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.- John 21:17