I have seen multiple things on my reels page that have disturbed me, theologically speaking, in the last 24 hours. One reel in particular showed the “Unite the Kingdom” march in England, highlighting two or three attendees dressed as knights of the crusades. This march was an anti-muslim event. Seeing the hatred for people on display, especially from those claiming to be Christians, disturbed me. I say all of this for three reasons:

1. People seem to think that the Christian religion is part of a physical turf war that we are apparently “losing” if we allow other religions to worship. While we are fighting spiritual battles, we aren’t supposed to bring that into the physical realm. We share Jesus with speaking and acting in love not by physically and forcibly removing people.
2. This reminded me of a vision or image( I don’t know quite what it was) that came to me during a church sermon some time in the last year. I don’t remember what the sermon was, but the image is very important. I saw a field of battle with soldiers fighting; it was essentially a crusade battle. In the midst of the chaos, the cross descended from the sky, and both sides stopped fighting, turned towards the cross and began worshipping Jesus.
3. A second image came to my mind as well; it was people from all nations approaching the gates of heaven leaving the flags of their countries behind. [If the love for a country causes the love for our neighbors to be diluted in any way, the country has become an idol].

I felt like I needed to share this because I think a sect of Christians have lost sight of what it means to share Jesus with people and what it means to “win the lost”. We are supposed to see those outside of the church like Jesus saw the one sheep separated from the ninety-nine. We are supposed to love them as Christ loved us; “in that while we still were sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8b). As I finish this up, I am made aware that if wanting to fight injustice and wanting to protect our neighbors also causes the love of neighbors to be diluted, it is an idol as well.

My prayer for the world, the USA, and myself: May God forgive those of us on either side of these issues and may we return our focus to Jesus and do all that we do in love and in truth. May false and cruel doctrines and idols be removed from our lives and may we remember to love others as Jesus loved us, and may we remember that we are all made in the image of God and that Christ died and was resurrected so that all who come to call on His name will be saved. Amen and God bless.