love others, all others

Saturday September 11th, Luke 14: 33 "Simply put, if you're not willing to take what is dearest to you, whether plans or people, and kiss it good-bye, you can't be my disciple. Interesting statement for September 11th. Most will remember this as the day when the US was attacked by extremist primarily from Saudi Arabia. There was a call the next day to not get sucked into the hatred and turn this into a war that would alienate many in the world who now looked in favor of the US. The report did not come from a theological network, but rather from an investment program on National Public Radio. The premise was that this was an opportunity to show forgiveness and focus and in the process cultivate favorable markets and an atmosphere for global cooperation that would enhance international trade for generations to come. But we couldn’t say good bye to that which we held nearest and dearest, hatred and greed. Instead of attacking the Shiite strongholds from which Al Qaeda sprung, we chose to instead attack the Sunni stronghold of Iraq, which just happened to hold lots of oil. If you are not willing to take that which is nearest and dearest to you and kiss it good-bye, you are easy prey for those who would use you and the lives of your loved ones as cannon fodder for their own personal short term greed. We now have the likes of Glenn Beck and FOX being fairly successful at dupping us again to follow our basic racist instincts and return us to this short term greed of which we as a nation have fallen. Love God and Love Others, that is the command according to Christ. The others he was talking about were not just those whose skin is the same color, who live in the same neighborhood, who talk, act and think like us, but also the rest of creation the God created and called good. When we act on this day out of our fears and hatreds and racism, when we deny the building of Mosques dedicated to moderation and decency, when we listen to the vitriol disguised as news from FOX we fall victim to our own hatred, and become so much less than we were created to be and we end up doing the bidding of those, like the Kock brothers, who pull the strings and fit the bills behind the TEA party express. Kiss it good-bye, and read, really read scripture. Pick up Luke and read it beginning to end, then do the same for the other gospels. Listen to what Jesus is saying, not what some TV hack or some hate radio jock is telling you it means, READ IT, IT IS ABOUT LOVING GOD AND LOVING OTHERS, ALL OTHERS. If the Gospel does not fit into that you are not hearing it correctly. You are still holding on to your age old hatred and racism and are being played. Kiss it Good-bye, and hear the Gospel.