{"id":38460,"date":"2024-09-15T12:21:58","date_gmt":"2024-09-15T19:21:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/?p=38460"},"modified":"2024-09-15T12:21:58","modified_gmt":"2024-09-15T19:21:58","slug":"i-will-know-how-much-you-love-me-by-how-you-treat-them","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/i-will-know-how-much-you-love-me-by-how-you-treat-them\/","title":{"rendered":"I Will Know How Much You Love Me by How You Treat Them"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Pope Paul VI, January 1, 1972<\/p><\/div>\n

This week\u2019s assignment brings continued thoughts about power and dominance over those who are disenfranchised following my recent blog on John Wesley\u2019s book, Thoughts Upon Slavery<\/em>. Authors Jim Wallis and Brett Fuller bring meaningful and unique viewpoints that combine Biblical and historical reflections with contemporary ideas on leadership and justice.<\/p>\n

Jim Wallis, who wrote God’s Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn’t Get It, <\/em>has been a social justice activist since the civil rights movement. He contends that \u201cThe values of politics are [the] primary concern in this book. When either party tries to politicize God or co-opt religious communities for their political agendas, they make a terrible mistake.\u201d[1]<\/a><\/p>\n

But the truth is, that religion and politics have been mixing since the colonial era. Even John Wesley\u2019s disdain for slavery, based on religious beliefs,[2]<\/a> was revealed in a letter penned to William Wilberforce. In it, Wesley encouraged him to, \u201cGo on, in the name of God and in the power of His might, till even American slavery (the vilest that ever saw the sun) shall vanish away before it.\u201d[3]<\/a><\/p>\n

America\u2019s founding fathers desired a system that separated church and state, so they crafted the Constitution\u2019s First Amendment prohibiting the establishment of a national religion and protecting the freedom of religion. However, religious ideas and values still influenced political discourse and policies. By the 19th<\/sup> century, faith was used as a reason for the temperance movement (Ephesians 5:18). In contrast, the 20th<\/sup> century brought about greater influence by the Christian right on issues such as education (Matthew 28: 19-20) and abortion (Psalm 22:9-10). In my opinion, the 20th<\/sup> century was also when society began separating from a shared sense of moral code. Biblical values that called us to love our neighbors began dissolving into a secularized world that prioritizes self above others, which means the poor and vulnerable get left behind.[4]<\/a><\/p>\n

For Wallis, his life\u2019s work has been about elevating our brothers and sisters in Christ who are burdened by the weight of poverty. In his latest book, The False White Gospel<\/em>, Wallis talks about a lesson he learned early in his seminary career. He took a pair of scissors to an old Bible and literally cut out every scriptural verse that dealt with the poor and justice. By the time he was done cutting, more than 2,000 versus had fallen onto the floor.[5]<\/a> He held up the bible with all its holes as a visual representation of God\u2019s concern for the poor. It helped make the point that Christians should flip the script by prioritizing the well-being of the least of these rather than our current cultural norms, which elevate those with the most resources, giving them even more power and control.<\/p>\n

In addition to Wallis\u2019 insights, I am contemplating Brett Fuller\u2019s lens through which to view leadership and change. In Dreaming About Black and White<\/em>, Fuller\u2019s novel explores matters of race, identity, and personal transformation. The story focuses on Michael, a young African American, who struggles with his identity in a racially divided community. In many ways, the character reflects some of the same issues that Fuller faced firsthand while growing up in the segregated South.[6]<\/a> As Michael launches into his journey, the story goes on to explore what everyday life was like for him, including his relationships. Fuller highlights the complex dynamics of race, especially the challenges of balancing dreams with societal pressures.<\/p>\n

Oppression has not only burdened the poor and non-white Americans but also women. In Fuller\u2019s other book, High Ceilings: Women in Leadership<\/em>, he outlines the four generally accepted Christian roles between a man and a woman within marriage, family life, and religious leadership.<\/p>\n