“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.” (1 Corinthians 13:4–5, NIV)
Weddings nationwide use that quote from the Bible. It was even read at mine. Often though, I think we forget what it means. This is the only way I can rationalize how Christians across the United States support a president whose actions display the opposite of what those words mean.
I was raised knowing the Golden Rule: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Here’s the thing: it doesn’t specify your “Christian neighbor.”
How does turning away refugees who need help follow this rule?
How does denying legal US residents the ability to return to their homes from vacation show love?
It is easy for me, in my warm home with bountiful amenities to think that I am normal, but in the larger picture of our world, I am not. I am very very lucky. So many people don’t have close to what I have.
- Worldwide, 780 million people do not have access to clean water and an estimated 2.5 billion people don’t have good sanitation. (Source: https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/global/wash_statistics.html)
- Over 59 million children of primary school-age aren’t receiving an education. (Source: https://www.unicef.org/education/bege_61657.html)
- 400 million people do not have access to essential healthcare services. (Source: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2015/uhc-report/en/)
- And lastly, the UN estimated in April last year that 400,000 people have been killed throughout the civil war in Syria. (Source: http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/04/staffan-de-mistura-400000-killed-syria-civil-war-160423055735629.html)
Denying legal residents the ability to return to their homes isn’t displaying love. Denying refugees a safe haven isn’t displaying love. Love doesn’t only have to apply when it’s easy and convenient.
Love “always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” (1 Corinthians 13:7, NIV)
Always. That’s what love is.
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