Tonight's Bible study was about Romans 2. There was one particular point that I thought was really pertinent in our society.
I believe that part of the reason the Church is so weak today is because of a rejection of the Gospel by society because of the hypocrisy of those who claim to be followers of Christ (i.e. Christians). It's no wonder my own mother keeps reminding me, "Don't fully believe what those Christians say." Yes, to her own son who believes, and has been just baptized.
In Romans, Paul has some words to say to the Jews, who, by their acceptance of the law, probably purported themselves to be above all the Gentiles. And yet, Paul points out the hypocrisy that was likely rampant in Jewish society back then - hence his writing of vs. 17-20.Â
Reading Romans 2:17-20 made me think of another verse, Micah 6:8.
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
How many of us do the three things listed in Micah 6:8?Â
Let me point out some societal issues that, perhaps, point out a lack of mercy and humility by church-goers.
Anti-abortionists say their work is Biblically-informed. Sure, I would totally agree and support the notion of limiting abortions on the grounds of the sanctity of life. But the general approach I have seen - a legalistic, catch-all approach - lacks the nuanced understanding of women who have, perhaps, gone through ordeals that make them feel as if they need their abortion rights.
Are the same anti-abortionists willing to carefully, patiently and gently lend a hand to a girl who has just been raped in order to help her recover from her trauma? To provide support and to help her find purpose and meaning post-ordeal? To guide her back to Christ, to find forgiveness, and to turn such a damningly negative event into something as a blessing for others? To support her and her child - born out of wedlock, but nonetheless a child loved by God - until she can support the two of them independently? If the anti-abortionist church-goers aren't willing to stand up for the "mercy" ideal, let's not talk about "justice", for in the Bible, both go hand-in-hand.Â
(Likewise, those who would talk only about God's mercy and love without talking about his righteousness and justness are missing out on the full picture.)
I can only write about this because I have a friend from college who was raped, and I only knew about it post-incident. Thankfully, she caught no disease, and was not found pregnant. Her story, coupled with some discussions I had with some others in our congregation and reading of Scripture, helped me come to these conclusions. And it's for these reasons that I do not support anti-abortion laws or abortion rights, for I believe there is a better and higher middle ground that both sides are not willing to consider.
We could even examine ourselves in our own lives. How often do we come to Bible study and say, "Oh Lord Jesus, AMEN!", study about forgiveness on the cross, and then fail to be patient with our own co-workers over them spilling coffee on the counter?
The text has convicted me strongly, because it served as a reminder to the many times I grumble and complain about our common lab benches being left untidy, while I forget to return common lab items to their proper place. Certainly not an example of being the light of this Earth, no?
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