The long arc of the moral universe bends toward justice.
Hate will not rule the day. Violence won’t have the final word.
That’s what we believe, and that’s why we can’t be discouraged.
It’s hard, isn’t it? It’s hard when we’re surrounded by evidence suggesting we’re fools to actually believe and follow Jesus.
Love your enemy. Forgive when it’s impossible. Go the extra mile. Don’t live in fear. Frankly, as I type the words they sound like a bunch of pious platitudes that don’t have much to say to folks living in most of today’s culture.
Defend yourself. Get justice. Demand all you can get. And above all, be afraid. Be very, very afraid.
Jesus says, “Take courage. I AM. Don’t be afraid.”
He’s not saying we shouldn’t feel fear. He’s saying we can take courage from knowing He’s with us. We can more forward.
I write this for myself, and hopefully for you. If I’m honest, it’s a lot easier to write about it than to do it. My chronic tendency toward depression forces me to remember that my feelings only rule my life if I allow it. Though it’s difficult, I can make different, better choices.
You and I can turn off the politicians who tell us the only paths are war and hate. We can turn away from the cultural messages of short-term gratification and listen to Jesus, who spoke of the long arc of God’s kingdom now and forever. We can refuse to heed the inner (or outer) critic who tells us we’ll never measure up.
We can do those things, and then turn our attention to advancing the kingdom by doing what we can, where we are, with what we have.
And we don’t have to be discouraged.