Sunday, October 6, 2024

We are heavily into the pre-election season with political ads and rhetoric all over the place.  This rhetoric includes “Christian values” more than in past years.  As a result, I have been reflecting on what “Christian values” means to me.
 
“Christian values” starts with the 10 commandments, which lay out our need to honor God and treat others justly.  It is basic: we need to control our human emotions and urges so that we are not hurting others.  These laws were written in stone: they demand that we act justly.
 
Jesus added another layer to those basic values with the beatitudes.  The beatitudes are not written in stone: they are written in the heart.  They call us to go out of ourselves and be merciful, kind, generous, and forgiving in our relationships. 
 
For example, in the parable of the Good Samaritan, the two
religious leaders were following the law: they avoided making themselves unclean by touching a bloodied man and so they were able to partake in the temple rituals.  The Samaritan was “moved with compassion” for the man and went out of his way to help him, even though he knew that the injured man, a Jew, would have hated him.
 
Another example is the woman caught in adultery.  The religious leaders, following the law strictly, were going to stone her to death.  Jesus reminded them that they were not “without sin” and, as a result, they walked away.  Jesus gave her another chance.  He didn’t say what she did was ok, he did tell her to “sin no more,” but he had compassion and mercy on her.
 
All of this reminds me that I am a sinner and, while the law is important and needs to be respected, I also need to have mercy and understanding, both for myself and others.  I ask myself (to use a cliché): what would Jesus do?  If I err, I would rather err on the side of being understanding, welcoming, and forgiving than on being harsh and judgmental.  For me, that is living “Christian values.”
 
How about you?  How do you navigate the fine line between justice and mercy?  As you reflect on it, are you comfortable with your approach?  What are your “Christian values”? God bless.
 
Church sign: We are called to be witnesses, not lawyers and judges.