You and I are needed in the gap

The United States of America is not one nation; it is two.

My own Detroit metropolitan region–the Detropolis (thank you Jeff Slater)–is not one city; it is two.

My own Christian family here in America is not one Christianity; it is two.

What’s the difference?

In broad and naked terms:

Dark skin and light skin. “Have-some-or-none” and “have-more-or-a-lot-more”. Urban and rural. Social liberals and social conservatives.

There are more. You get the picture.

Here’s how I see things in the aftermath of the presidential election. Politicians get votes by stirring the anger and fear of one against the other. They frame the problem or the threat as “The Other.” They offer solutions that, at their most basic, lift up one group while keeping The Other down, out, or in her or his place.

As a struggling-to-be-an apprentice and student of the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, I ask: Does the American political–and, yes, religious–playbook of “divide and conquer” in any way resemble the Christ?

Read the Bible–especially the Gospels–as many times as I have and the answer is clear: Without exception, the Christ is always for The Other.

Since being for The Other is the essence of Christ and Christianity, our little Christian light in this country can and must be one thing and only one thing now: Unity.

Oh, but not the unity that insists The Other agree with us, change to be like us, conform to our image, convert to our doctrine, or defer to our superior intelligence, morality, or work ethic. No, not the unity that places those conditions on others. The Christ never called anyone to any of those things. And changing people is what God does through his Holy Spirit. It’s not our business or commission to change people. Our commission is one: Love people, especially The Other.

How do I know? Because I can see what Jesus Christ asked of his followers and the people he met. He simply said: “It matters nothing to me which group your society puts you in, national, political, religious, or otherwise. Follow me. Stick together. Be for one another. The rest is minor details that really don’t matter much. What matters is love. Love is my morality. Love is my religion. Are you with me?”

So if we are to be an authentic example and witness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the United States in the months and years ahead, we have work to do. But it is not the work of organizing ourselves into opposing political factions (when did Jesus ever do that?). It is not the work of self-preservation, self-promotion, and self-protection (when did Jesus ever do that?). It is certainly not going on an offensive to bend the other to our way of thinking and our will (Jesus didn’t even do that).

Our Christian witness now (and for all time) is to be for The Other.

Always. No exceptions. No excuses. No other way to be Christian.

There’s a gap between two churches, two cities, and two countries in America. The only way to be Christian is to live in that gap.

My commitment after this election is to live in that gap. Will you go with me?