We live in a harsh world. I think that has always been true. Life has always been kinder to some than to others. There have always been the poor, the hungry, the exploited. Still, there are worse times than others.
Think about the days of slavery, the Holocaust. Those are some of the most egregious. While today does not compare to the inhumanity of the worst of times, our world still seems far colder than past years of my life.
What I grapple with most today is the hate we feel for those not like us or think differently from us, the cruelty with which we treat each other, our apathy toward (at times taking glee in) the plight of our fellow brethren who are not as fortunate as we are. (Keep in mind, regardless of your socioeconomic status, by virtue of being born in the US, you are far better off than millions of others.)
What is even more baffling are the “Christians” who hate (see the Greatest Commandment), condemn, (see the story of Jesus at the temple courts at the Mount of Olives), turn their backs on those in need (see the Parable of the Good Samaritan), actions that are the antithesis of Christianity.
I was born and raised Catholic and know the above stories well. They are from the New Testament, the advent of Christianity when Jesus walked the earth as man.
So how is it that so many so-called Christians can be so hateful?
Several recent articles try to explain this disconnect between professing to being a loving follower of Jesus while acting in a manner that seems so un-Christian. (One sample: Why MAGA Evangelicals Can Cheer Love and Hate at the Same Time.)
Apparently, the dichotomy hinges on the teachings in the “Old Testament,” before the existence of Christianity.
I am not a theologian. And while I am better versed in the New Testament than the old, I am not well versed in either. I don’t think, though, the Old Testament advocates for hating, hurting, condemning, etc., one another. Often, I think we misinterpret a passage or misuse it (sometimes intentionally).
Think of the “Eye for an Eye” passage. It is not about taking the same from someone who has taken from you. Quite the opposite, actually.
(I could also go back to the Bible being written thousands of years ago in an ancient language that no longer exists, has been transcribed by men over the years, using the knowledge and vernacular of their time. Think about a teenager today reading about the young girls going to the beach in their thongs. They would probably have a very different image of what the girls were wearing than what was true. But, I digress.)
As Christians, we believe Jesus to be our Messiah. This is what separates Christians from other religions who believe in the same God – we may believe in the same God, but other religions do not believe Jesus to be divine.
The truth of the matter, plain and simple, is to be a Christian means to believe Jesus is the Messiah and to follow his teachings.
If you do not love others as you love yourself, you are not Christian. If you cast the first stone, you are not Christian. If you do not recognize that everyone is your neighbor, you are not Christian.
If you believe in God but do not follow the teachings of Jesus, you are not a Christian.