Jesus COMMANDED that we "love your neighbor AS YOU love yourself." It is through this and loving God with all that we have, that we fulfill and live the law and prophets. I believe ALL things in this life are sacred. Nothing is secular for those who believe that God is the one "within whom we live and move and have our being", and who believe that "the kingdom of God is within you." If I am connected to God, I am connected to the other children of God, whom God loves, as a brother/sister. Jesus made treating them well (even stranger and enemy) a spiritual act. In fact, I John 4:20 boldly states that we CANNOT claim to love God if we do not love others... to do so would make us liars. Being humanistic (care for humanity and individuals within humanity) is spiritual by nature, even when lived by non-religious people, because it is an imitation of the teachings and example of "The Word made Flesh".
If I love my neighbor (Jesus defines as stranger and enemy as well) AS I LOVE MYSELF, I will no more want to see harm come to them... no more want to see them go without what they need... than I would want that for myself! I will only want good for them, because that is what I want for myself. I will treat them well, because I want to be treated well. "Do unto others as you would HAVE THEM do unto you." If that is true, then:
I will want them to have employment... all of them... and make a living wage with healthcare benefits and a pension. I may not want them to have opulent wealth, because of the damage it would do to their souls, but to have enough so that they do not go without their needs.
I will want them to have a good education... all of them... and not just some of them have great teachers and computers and chem labs and current books.
I will want them to have affordable housing, medicines, food, utilities, drinkable water, transportation and other necessities for life, so that the most vulnerable and elderly are especially cared for...
I will want them to be treated fairly by the criminal justice system, regardless of their race, age, class, etc.
I will want them to be treated respectfully in the election process, and in a just and equal manner, having their votes count equally with others.
I will want them not to be exploited and therefore kept poor, so that others can get cheap goods, whether they live here or in other nations.
I will want them to be treated well as strangers in any land, and not treated shamefully.
I will want them to be accepted for who they are, regardless of their race, class, religion, age, gender, physical abilities or sexual orientation.
I want them to pay the same price on gasoline, food, insurance and other necessities that others pay, regardless of what area they live in.
I will want them to have uncontaminated ground, breathable air and drinkable water for generations to come.
I want those things for myself. According to Jesus, I MUST want that for them, if I am to obey His commandments, even for stranger and enemy!
If I LIVE the Agape Love that I am commanded to live, I will be committed to them and act on their behalf just as I am committed to myself and act on my own...
So, obey Jesus. Commit yourself to yourself and your neighbor (even stranger and enemy). Act on your own behalf, partly by acting on theirs.
Pray for them. Write your elected officials on every level. Speak out for them and against anything that would harm them or leave them in need. Demonstrate your agape love for them, even publicly. Vote, not only for your self interests, but also for the interests of others, which will, according to Paul, be an act out of having the same mind in you that was in Christ Jesus. (Phil. 2)
Jesus made humanism a spiritual exercise. Exercise it!
Pastor Jamie
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