Freedom Is Messy - Church, State, and Beto

So I've been thinking more about Beto, taxing the churches, and all that jazz.

Made me think of Roger Williams. He spoke up in Massachusetts Bay Colony that they should treat the Indians better. That they were stealing land and mistreating them. This isn't me projecting my 21st century sensibilities on a colony in the 1600s. This was a Christian in tune with God in the 1600s proclaiming the truth to the powerful. He spoke as a pastor. And just about as effective as speaking the truth to the powerful these days, on October 9, 1645, he was banished from Massachusetts Bay Colony.

Roger Williams went on to start Providence as a place where people could have religious freedom. Puritans came. Jews came. Quakers came. The first Baptist church was started there. Religious people of different orientations could live together in peace and not be banned for disagreeing with the state.

What Beto and others are asking for, without maybe even recognizing it in themselves, is a return to the totalitarian ways of Massachusetts Bay Colony and the Europe our American predecessors fled from. In this particular instance, Beto is encouraging taxing churches who don't agree with him on gay marriage. But that is giving control of church teaching over to the state. Either you conform, or you pay. This is a dangerous change.

This seems to be the toxic fruit of an idea that I hear regularly: Religion should have no influence on the state. The idea goes on to say that separation of church and state flows both ways. The state can't influence the church. And the church can't influence the state. As seen in Beto, they would rather err on the side of the state forcing the church to do things.

This concept holds that religious principles that shape a religious person's worldview are inferior to secular principles. Due to this, religious principles have no room in the public arena. Do you realize that this approach would have made Martin Luther King Jr. not happen? One of our national heroes could not have done what he did in this hostile toward religion framework. He was a pastor, emboldened by his religious convictions, trying to change the state. Christians throughout history have spoken truth to the power of the state, and I don't want that principle to end to this new totalitarian view that the religious should be silent in regard to the state.

If Beto's proposal or any like it were to move forward, the secular victory would be weak anyway. The church would just move to house churches that aren't legally churches so the state can't say what we can and can't say because I, and I believe most remaining Christians, would never let the state tell us what we can and cannot teach. We have a good, solid history and lots of examples to inspire and encourage us to not conform to the state. Whether that be heroes like Martin Niemoller in Germany, Corrie Ten Boom in Denmark, Dirk WIllems in the Netherlands, Telemachus in Rome, or these other people - Jesus, Peter, and Paul in the early church era. Conforming to society goes against a core principle of the church: The church is to be a separate kingdom with an alternative way of living. If we just conform to the wishes of society, what are we? We definitely aren't the church.

Freedom of speech and religion are principles that we should still enshrine as an Americans. Principles that goes back the early days of Roger Williams in Rhode Island and of William Penn in Pennsylvania, which we didn't really get into here. Principles that our founding fathers enshrined in the Bill of Rights because they knew that the tendency, as exhibited even these days, of the state is to take them away. Principles that have made the world better. Principles we shouldn't dispose of just to get the political outcome we want.

Conformity is not freedom. Freedom is messy.

Rethinking Church's Relationship To State

Throughout much of the history of the Church, the Church has just followed society hook, line and sinker. From the time of Jesus until 313 AD the Church had an on and off again relationship with the State. On again meaning that the State was persecuting and killing them; off again, meaning that the State would leave them alone despite Christianity still being illegal.

In 313, that all changed. Constantine issued the edict of Milan making it legal to be a Christian. Throughout the 4th century, laws were passed until Christianity became the State religion and all other religions were made illegal, and, with that, a dark era for the Church was initiated. Instead of loving the lost, some Christians started persecuting the lost and, in the worse cases, killing them. As if you should die if you don't agree with what we believe. When given the power of the State, Christians throughout history have shown that they often behave no better and sometimes worse than those who don't know God.

No longer was the Church viewed by Christians as a kingdom without borders, colonies of God’s kingdom here on earth, ambassadors not of this world who live in the truth of God's otherworldly kingdom bringing its beauty into our world; Christians began to confuse the State with God’s kingdom, melding the two, and the State and the Church had an affair while Christ waited for His Bride to come back home. It wasn’t until recently, that this hold of the State on the Church and the lust of the Church to control the State has waned.

Stanley Hauerwas shares this watershed moment by telling a story of his childhood in Greenville, South Carolina. On one Sunday night in the summer of 1963, as Hauerwas writes:

In defiance of the state’s time-honored blue laws, the Fox Theater opened on Sunday. Seven of us—regular attenders of the Methodist Youth Fellowship at Buncombe Street Church—made a pact to enter the front door of the church, be seen, then quietly slip out the back door and join John Wayne at the Fox…On that night, Greenville, South Carolina—the last pocket of resistance to secularity in the Western world—served notice that it would no longer be a prop for the church. There would be no more free passes for the church, no more free rides. The Fox Theater went head to head with the church over who would provide the world view for the young. That night in 1963, the Fox Theater won the opening skirmish (Resident Aliens by Stanley Hauerwas and William Willimon, 15-16).

And the church has been reeling ever since. We seem to be finding our legs these days. We are not in cahoots with the State any more. We understand that our culture is not Christian or God honoring. There is now a great divide between the Church and the world. The seductive siren call of popularity, power, law, and control never fit well with the call of Christ to be a self-sacrificing servant to others, to love our enemies, and to go the extra mile even when we don't want to go the first. The State no longer wants us. The world no longer wants us, and we should be comfortable not wanting what they have instead of conforming to what they want us to be. Jesus never meant for His Church to wield the power of the State nor worry about being accepted and popular. We are to be an irresistible alternative from the world for those who seek God.

Instead of being the bride of Christ throughout the centuries, the Church has been dating Themis, the Greek goddess of Law. And the breakup has been tough. During this fifteen century affair, the Church forgot its purpose and how to function. Thankfully, there have been faithful remnants and glimmers of God's Kingdom that we can look to in relearning our role as the Bride of Christ in a post-Christian society. But since breaking up with Themis, the Church has gone through a deep depression, tried dating around, but now we’re finally getting back to Jesus. And dating Jesus doesn’t look like the way the Church has been since the time of Constantine, but it’s the way that Jesus has designed us to be. We're learning how to love again. We're learning how to passionately follow God again. We’re learning to fully live in grace and truth. These are good times to be following Jesus.

And the same thing that happened to the church over the centuries may be true in our own personal lives. We might be listening to the siren call of false god of America, Hollywood, Sports, or to any of the other idols of our culture that should never be listened to above the voice of God. We might have hardened to God like Playdoh hardens, but, like Playdoh, it’s never too late. God is the master heart shaper, and, as long as we have life left in us, he can pour the water on us and shape our heart again if we are willing.

Now, more than ever, many are awakening to the idea that America isn't exactly a Christian nation. It's baffling to me that this wasn't already self-evident with our nation's stance on abortion, attitude toward the poor, aggressive military action around the world, and many other issues. But now, it is ingrained in our laws that homosexuality is just as valid as heterosexuality. Maybe we, the church, the body of Jesus, have been going about it all wrong for the last few decades. We have been obsessing with how to make our nation more Christian, which leads to us putting law forward instead of love, and in focusing on the State and what it should do, we have neglected how we can be better Christians - better followers of Jesus in our everyday lives and together as the church. We have a dangerous and terrible tendency to focus on others who we can't change rather than ourselves who we can.

Our government is not, despite the rhetoric of Ronald Reagan, the "shining city on a hill." We are not "the hope of the earth" (as Mitt Romney said in the presidential debate, October 22, 2012., but a sentiment also said by Teddy Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln). Nor are we "the one indispensable nation" (as Barack Obama said in that same presidential debate). Our nation is not the salt of the earth or the light of the world. Those are prideful misappropriations of phrases that are reserved for the kingdom of God. The local church is the city on a hill, the salt of the earth, and the light of the world. The local church is the answer for the problems of the world, and yet we neglect the bride of Christ time and time again for all the whimsical allures of the world. And I think things are crumbling around us because I don’t even know if the church believes in our special place anymore.

I hope that we can give up fighting the cultural battles of our day on a political level because they have already been lost and have hurt the cause of the gospel. But that doesn’t change what is right or wrong; it just changes our approach. The Bible gives us no hint that Jesus was concerned about changing the laws in the Roman Empire. Instead, we see him establishing an alternative kingdom where he is the King. Let’s follow suit. Instead of attempting to change American laws, let's focus on changing our lives to be more like what God wants them to be and shower our community and the world with the love of God. We can't make a nation Christian through legislation. But that shouldn’t bother us. We live as citizens in God’s kingdom under the authority of a perfect King. This is the one indispensable nation. The foot we put forward shouldn’t be homosexuality is a sin, although if people ask, they do deserve and honest, biblical answer. But we should be focused on working through our local churches to win the hearts of people to Jesus. We must set an example of kingdom living that is irresistible to those seeking God. Through that, our nation will have more Christians.

James described true spirituality as loving orphans and widows while keeping ourselves unstained from the world (James 1:27), Jesus described true spirituality as loving God and loving our neighbors (Matthew 22:36-40). Paul taught us that the pinnacle of the spiritual life is love (1 Corinthians 13:13). John taught us that if we don't love our brothers and sisters, then we don't love God (1 John 4:20).We don't have to agree with people to love them. And that is true religion. That is the positive message and life that we must focus on and live for.

But here is the truth that we must realize, we never let our State or the world dictate to us what is right and wrong. Society dictates morality in a secular state. But we operate differently. We allow God to dictate to us what is right or wrong. That is why, historically, dictators have always attacked the church, whether that was in early Communist China, Soviet Russia, or Nazi Germany. We, followers of Jesus, are like herding cats. The faithful cannot be manipulated. Our nation may be hardened to the will of God, but we don't have to follow suit. We must always remain faithful to our understanding of God’s word in Scripture.

No matter what the State says, our beliefs hold true. We don't conform to the world; we allow God to transform us. The Church and the State were never meant to be bedmates. Our state is secular; it's not Christian. It can allow gay marriage. That is not our domain. We don’t even need to invest our energy opposing it in the legislative arena. Our domain is here: The church, the kingdom of God. And I think Christians have spent a lot of energy and effort trying to fix the State while we have let the church crumble. Our priorities and energy have been misdirected.

The church was always meant to be countercultural. That should be evident now. We shouldn't spend our time being overly concerned with the State because we can't control it. But you know who we can control? Ourselves. We can strive to be more loving. We can strive to help the poor. We can strive to bring peace into our circle of relationships. We can strive to stand on truth and exude grace. We can be humble and full of forgiveness. All too often we get hung up on the wrong things and miss out on working on our own spiritual lives. We get distracted, preventing ourselves from drawing closer to God and learning to listen to the Holy Spirit.

Let us take this moment in history and allow it to spur us all closer to Jesus. Let it not cause us to be disillusioned but to regain focus. Let us strive to be the church filled with people in community with one another. People who seek to live in the kingdom of God here on earth as it is in heaven. Let us focus on ourselves and our sin rather than the sin of others. Let us revel in the grace of God and live in such a way that others want to join us in giving glory to our Father in heaven. This is the time for the church to be the church and live up to its calling to be the hope of the word. The time is now.

When we confuse the role of the Church with the Government

Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good?  But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled,  but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,  having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.  For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil. 1 Peter 3:13-17 (ESV)

The more anti-Christ our society gets, the more suffering for being faithful to God and suffering for doing good in His name will happen. But we shouldn’t focus on the suffering but on the doing good. And when we do good, Peter tells us to have a reason for the hope that is in us. Yet we share that hope not with dogmatic signs like the corner preachers at the university who are telling everyone they are going to hell -- not like the Westboro Baptist Church protesting funerals of gays and others. No! We share the reason for our hope with gentleness and respect. We aren’t jerks about it. We don’t have to force them to believe, but we should gently and respectfully give them the reason that we believe. But that doesn’t happen unless, as Jesus taught, our good works are seen to give God glory (Matthew 5:13-16).

And I think we may lose this perspective.

Mainly because we have lost an understanding of the importance of church in many Christian communities along with misappropriating our role to the government. This is due in part to bad theology in some circles that think that America must be a Christian nation. The New Israel as some proclaim. But for my whole life, our nation has said that getting abortions is okay. Our nation has been militarily attacking people every year that I have been alive, except for my early President Carter years, and, for most of those years, I have absolutely no idea why. Our nation says that gay marriage is just the same as the marriage of two Christian people. Our society says that it is unrealistic to teach abstinence. On and on, our society teaches things contrary to the teachings of our faith – these are just some of the big ones - yet we sometimes do some illogical gymnastics to pretend that our nation is Christian. And then this causes us to try to force nonChristians to live by Christian laws. That isn’t our place. We have something much more important to do.

Instead, I think we are called to be countercultural and something different. We are called to be the church. The community that God wants to transform society through. But not through the use of the state. Instead, we are to do it through transformed hearts. We are called to live in such a way together that people will ask for the reason for the hope that in us. And when we suffer for doing good, we’re called to be there for each other.

I look back to the early monasteries for inspiration. Don't think of what the monastery has become, but realize what its original intention was. This was explained in the Celtic Way of Evangelism by George Hunter. The Catholic Church was trying to convert Europe and the pagan people through getting them to accept certain doctrines as true. Doctrine is important, but that isn’t how Europe was won to the Lord. The Catholic Church was failing at converting pagan Europe using this method. But there was a revival that had occur in Ireland. Those people had become zealous for the Lord. And they took a different approach at being missionaries to the pagan cultures of Europe. A group of them would move together and live outside of the community they wanted to reach for Jesus. They would establish a monastery and start living out the Christian life together in community. It wasn't about evangelism as we have come to know it; it was about being real Christians living life together. Sharing their joys and sorrows. Helping each other with their needs. Sounds an awful lot like the Acts 2 church. As a result of their life together, the communities they were living outside of saw God's love and were eventually included into their communities. Before long, the people in the community they were trying to reach were also living out the Christian life. They would realize this and decide they were also Christians. Their approach recognized that Christianity was a lifestyle to be lived rather than a set of belief statements to be acknowledged.

The greatest evangelistic tool Christians have is to just be real, authentic Christians living life together. There is no apologetic trick or evangelistic method that will create real Christians outside of us being real Christians.

And do you see the difference here from the way Christianity is often lived out in America? Instead of just setting the example of what society should be like through our life together in the church, Christians are trying to get their way in the public sphere. Trying to use the force of the state to make others live up to Christian standards. And this never leaves a good impression on the lost. So we may be able to successfully legislate morality if that is our goal, but, in doing that, in having that secular victory, we will find that we push people away from Jesus. Instead of living lives that people want to wonder about, we instead live lives that repulse people. Instead of giving a gentle and respectful reason for the hope in us, we leverage our clout to force people to live like us.

What if instead of trying to transform society through legislation we allowed God to transform us into healthy churches filled with love for one another and those around us?

9 Myths Pervasive In American Christianity

The recent controversy surrounding whether homosexuality is or isn't a sin has revealed deeper issues. This article is about those deeper issues. These prominent myths have taken root, arisen in American Christianity like an uncontrollable weed through the years, and have a greater potential for destruction as the underlying source of many of the hot button issues of our time.

So here are nine prominent myths and a quick rebuttal. I am sure that this is not an exhaustive list. And chances are that nobody struggles with every myth.

Myth #1. Holiness doesn't matter.

The Apostle Peter wrote,  "As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance,  but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,  since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:14-16 ESV)

Holiness. At its core, it's just being set apart for something. In the case of Christian holiness, it's being set apart for the things of God. It means that we don't indulge in every desire that those around us may indulge in. It also means that we do things that those around us may not do. In a way, holiness can be described as different. Those who strive to be set apart for God are to be different than those around them. 

Myth #2. Following Jesus means not pointing out sin. It is unloving to acknowledge sin.

"Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.”( John 7:24 ESV)

 "Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.  Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.  For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.  But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor.  For each will have to bear his own load." (Galatians 6:1-5 ESV)

Jesus taught us to judge rightly. That is a natural step in the process of bearing each others' burdens and helping restore each other. Sometimes transformation cannot happen unless we actually judge that a person is actually struggling with something or doing something  that causes separation from God.

But I want to clarify something that Christians often mess up. We are called to judge one another, not to judge the world. Paul told the Christians in Corinth to not judge the world but to cast the evil person out of their midst (1 Corinthians 5:9-13). We often get it wrong and judge the world while not keeping our own fellowship pure. I guess it's easier to judge those we don't have to maintain a relationship with, but that should not be a trait that characterizes who we are.  

Pointing out sins is loving at times. The problem that we face is that we really don't want to consider things sin that are sin. There is still sin in this world. And sin always destroys. No conversation should be framed into love versus accepting sin. Accepting sin is not loving. We don't accept sin; we accept sinners. Like you and me. While we were sinners, Jesus died for us.

Myth #3.  Pointing out one's sin is plenty enough love.

"By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35 ESV)

The love among us as brothers and sisters in Jesus should overflow from our midst into the world around us. Our co-workers, friends, neighbors, family, and everyone that we encounter should actually see us do loving things. Love is not just a feeling that is expressed in words. That's why pointing out others sins isn't all that loving. 

So it is not just enough to point out people's sin. I admit that it is loving to help someone overcome their sin. This is best done through relationships where we can help build others up. If we claim to be strong, then we need to adopt the Jesus model and use that strength to serve others. If we aren't serving, then we are either extremely selfish or actually not as strong as we think we are. 

We should so overwhelm the world with love that they can't honestly accuse us of hate, but love is done through meeting their needs. The message of Jesus is best exhibited when we love; words are necessary but can be very empty without action in love.

Myth #4. A person is defined as who they are by their behavior.

"And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another" (2 Corinthians 3:18a ESV).

Our behavior often doesn't represent who we truly are; it often just represents our fallen state. People are made in the image of God, yet we sin and mar that image. This is why we must continue to allow God to transform us. None of us are perfect, despite the Christian teachings to strive to be. In one sense our inner character is revealed by our actions, but even in this sense, our inner character is stained by this world. Like a caterpillar weaving a cocoon, we are all greater than we presently are; we're just on our way to getting there. So when we see others, we must begin to view them in the same light. They aren't their failures, disappointments, and limitations. They are also made in the image of God. 

Myth #5. The church should leave people alone.

"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:19-20 ESV)

Proselytizing. That's a dirty word these days. Our society wants us to just keep our faith personal, yet we cannot do that while remaining faithful to Jesus' teaching to go, make disciples, baptize and teach them.  

The church should actually leave the world alone in a certain way. We are not to judge those who are not Christians. With that caveat said, we are still supposed to go into the world and share the gospel with them. It is a balance to do that in both action and truth (1 John 3:18). But leaving the world alone is not an option.  

We can't expect the world to behave like Christians. We have a tough enough time behaving that way as followers of Jesus. However, our interaction with the world shouldn't be to pronounce judgment on them. We are to love them with helping hands and gentle words. We want them to join us in our mission. Before you start telling me that Jesus was harsh, I would like you to read through the Gospels again and notice who He was harsh with. It was the religious people like you and me that received the harshness of Jesus. The world received His love in tangible, gentle ways. We can't leave the world alone, but maybe we should adjust the way we interact with the world.

Myth #6. True power comes from passing laws.

“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.  “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden." (Matthew 5:13-14 ESV)

The changes we want to see in this world won't happen as a result of the State. The State, especially in a Western democracy, is just a reflection of the people who inhabit the State. If we want to see our State change and improve, this will happen through the influence of the Kingdom of God growing in the hearts and minds of the people who live here, not through forcing our will on others backed by the force of the law through enacting legislation.

Although it may be difficult at times, a good people can exist without a good State. But a good State cannot exist without good people. We sometimes misplace our priorities and work on changing the State rather than the people. We want to force others to be the way we strive to be rather than just allowing our witness to stand for itself in the public arena. We do this at times because we are deceived into thinking that true power comes from the State. 

Our government is not, despite the rhetoric of Ronald Reagan, the "shining city on a hill." We are not "the hope of the earth" (Mitt Romney in the presidential debate, October 22, 2012). Nor are we "the one indispensable nation" (Barack Obama in that same presidential debate). Our nation is not the salt of the earth or the light of the world. Those are prideful misappropriations of phrases that are reserved for the kingdom of God. The local church is the city on a hill, the salt of the earth, and the light of the world. The local church is the answer for the problems of the world, and yet we neglect the bride of Christ time and time again for all the whimsical allures of the world.

I hope that we can give up fighting the cultural battles of our day on a political level because they have already been lost, let's focus on changing our lives to be more like God wants them to be and shower our community and the world with the love of God. We can't make a nation Christian through legislation. Instead we must work through our local churches to win the hearts of people to Jesus. Through that, our nation will have more Christians.

God is the source of true power.

Myth #7. If Jesus didn't say  it, it doesn't matter.

"And he said to them, 'O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!  Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?'  And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself." (Luke 24:25-27 ESV)

Lately, there has been a movement away from the whole testimony of the canon of Scripture toward only the red letters of Jesus. This is an attack on the guidance of the Holy Spirit and on the inspiration of the entirety of Scripture. It leads to us ignoring the teachings of the Old Testament along with all of the issues addressed in the letters to the churches and church leaders that addressed the dominant issues in the early church. 

Jesus not addressing something could mean many things. It could mean that it wasn't a prominent issue in His time. It could just be that He did address it but known of the authors felt the need to write it down in the books that have endured the test of time. Whatever the case, the silence of the records we have don't tell us much on an issue. This is where we should look to whole testimony of Scripture along with allowing the Holy Spirit to guide us into truth.

Myth #8. You can't love someone if you don't accept who they are.

"But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh." (Jude 1:20-23 ESV)

Saying that we have to only love people who we accept as they are is a graceless approach to love. For what do we do with people that we don't approve of their actions. Take this to a logical extreme. How do we treat pedophiles then? Are we not to love them? Of course we are to still love them despite absolutely hating their actions. What do we do with a person who marches into a church and shoots the people. Again, the church, time and time again, models a different approach and loves the person despite absolutely hating the sinful action. Hate "even the garment stained by the flesh."

This approach allows us to live in grace. Grace needed for others and grace needed for ourselves. There are thoughts and actions in my life that I absolutely despite, yet the grace of God covers me. He still loves me despite hating sin. God knows far greater than we can understand the destructive force of sin. Sin destroys. It takes what is meant for a good purpose and morphs into a shadow of its intended glory. 

So we should fight to stifle sin for it is worthy of our hate. Yet we should always love everyone no matter how severe the sin they struggle with or have committed is. 

Myth #9. It's okay to demonize, not understand, and misrepresent those who I don't agree with.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Romans 12:14 (ESV)

With all of this said, we must be generous in every conversation. Instead of attacking others, we should just make our point while leaving the people that disagree with us alone. Instead of learning about a side from someone attacking that side, we should learn about it from someone who generally believes it. Instead of calling people heretics to end a conversation, we should let them share their views with us in love.

If we want a hearing for the message we want to share, we must live in a way that people view worthy of giving a hearing to. This means blessing our enemies and abstaining from saying bad things about them. This means letting our actions of love go into the world before our words. This means treating others, even those who may intend to harm us, as the image of God they were created to be.