Monday, January 30, 2017

To The Christians Supporting Hate: The Forgotten Messages the Bible Tells About Love


Image result for black and white holding hands

This weekend, I scrolled down my social media. With a heavy heart, I learned of the Muslim ban and the heinous, ill-informed “Christians” who, despite being taught to love your neighbor as yourself, have given their hearts to a cause that is racist, discriminatory and unjust.

Yes, I am a Christian. When I was too small to reach the dinner table, I sang “Jesus loves me this I know” hand in hand with fellow Christians of varying races and backgrounds. As an angsty teen, I participated in bible studies that taught on the embodiment of  virtues such as love, forgiveness and non-discrimination towards people that are different than us. We all sat around the same circle studying and magnifying the works of Jesus, who hung out with tax-collectors, thieves, gentiles, prostitutes and the ill. Yet, those same people have come out to the forefront supporting the very same values Jesus condemned with all His being and DIED to reveal to us.

The election has brought out the ugly in all of us, but I would never imagine that my fellow Christian peers would allow themselves to fall victim to such hate, violence and bigotry. This is against the very doctrines of the Christian faith. However, this is not new. Christianity has been used as the basis for racist, violent, and abhorrent acts since before the founding of the New World, but it has to end. To those of you who are a little bit salty (okay, very salty)  towards Christians right now because the majority of vocal Christians have been in support of horrible things, I understand your sentiments, but please give me your attention for a moment to clarify some things for you.

Above everything else, if you know nothing else about the Christian faith, Christianity is about love. Unconditional love. I don’t care who you are, I don’t care what your beliefs are, what your faith is, what the color of your skin is, your sexuality, your gender, your political affiliation, or socioeconomic status- my most IMPORTANT job as a Christian is to love you. All of you. As a Christian, my responsibility is to treat you how I would treat myself, because we are one family and one body. My responsibility, as the bible tells, is to give food to the hungry, shelter to the homeless and help to the helpless. None of this is conditional. I cannot refuse to help you because you are Syrian, Muslim, a Republican, a Democrat, transgender, gay, an immigrant, or just disagree with my beliefs. Jesus didn’t say to only love other Christians. He didn’t say love those who agree with you. He said love YOUR NEIGHBOR as yourself. Your neighbor is everyone.  “For God so loved THE WORLD that He gave His only son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” God so loves THE WORLD!!!!! Jesus was an outcast. He was born into great poverty and conflict. His life is the reason Christians are supposed to help the less fortunate, He is the reason we are to love others and He is the reason we are to condemn hate against one another.


To everyone out there who is afraid, know this. There are Christians out there who support human rights for everyone. There are Christians out there who stand for justice for all (not just Americans) and loving kindness. There are Christians out there who are not discriminatory because of people’s differences. There are Christians out there who stand with immigrants, Muslims, Hispanics, homosexuals, and the poor. I am one of them and I will always stand with you, fight with you, and support you. 

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