While many of my fellow bloggers are sharing about how they have valiantly reclaimed Christmas for the Christ Child or how joyful it is has been to celebrate Advent rather than Black Friday(or Black Thursday, if you have a real problem), this story's tone is a little different. With this in mind, it is as if my life and those in it have no idea what time of year we have entered and disregard paying it homage. Oh, how I wish this was about the topic of Christmas or the beauty of Advent, dear Reader! Unfortunately, if you decide to stay the course just be warned this is a chair-shifting, uncomfortable account of confrontations. You know, the ones that are unavoidable and gut-wrenching. We all have them. We all wonder if we handled things in the right way and manner. If you are like me, you wish you could have avoided them all together. Yes, avoidance. I would like to avoid any and all arguments and disagreements. (Please add that to Christmas wish list!) Moreover, my avoidance provides silence. As a result of avoiding, it became a formula for acheiving some twisted godly spirit of peace. Surely in my view, this is what Scripture means when it says, "You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God." In all of scripture I am not more contradictory than a "gentle and quiet spirit." Thus, I am in hot pursuit!
However, the thoughts of turning my cheek and loving my enemies(or those who hurt you) has left me feeling like a puny wallflower with no voice for certain injustices and situations. Y'all, do NOT fall prey to this line of thinking! Jesus never meant for His followers to be silenced in fear of being offensive or offending someone who is in obvious misalignment of God's Word! In fact, Jesus' entire ministry chronicles him being at odds with the religious leaders of his day. Thankfully, the Holy Spirit led me away from this incorrect view of Jesus. With this purpose in mind, I found the courageous, outspoken, warrior Jesus, I longed to remember. In the gospel of Matthew, chapter 23 shows Jesus going toe-to-toe with the Pharisees. Specifically, verse 23 of the chapter states, "What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore the more important aspects of the law—justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things." Jesus is very harsh in his depiction of the Pharisees, even telling the crowds, "everything they do is for show." In addition, in this short chapter of Matthew, ten time Jesus ridicules and denounces the Pharisees by calling them "hypocrites" and citing severe warnings of their fates. Boldly, Jesus labels them "Snakes" and "Sons of Vipers" because of the falseness and injustices they portrayed in their lives to society. Clearly, Jesus was not turning his cheek, but boldly proclaiming the Truth.
Likewise, I had a rather unpleasant and uncomfortable confrontation recently. I would have preferred avoiding telling this person the things I had to say, but I had finally been cornered and there was no getting out of it this time. Consequently, I could not ignore the injustices within our so-called friendship and the hypocrisies of her life anymore. Now, before you start picture us going at it, just know, it was civilized. As in the word's of my best friend, I "didn't remove my earrings" or "lose my religion." However, I revealed some very personal accounts and very harsh realities to this person and it was NOT easy! When it ended, I wonder if I had done the most Christ-like thing or if I should have just continued to ignore it and let her wonder, "what was wrong with ME?" It hasn't really fixed anything. She and her spouse have gone on to stir more trouble for me by the text of lies and cold-shoulder I have received from neighbors. Although, it stings, I know the accusations are false and taken out of context. Sincerely, folks, I don't say these things proudly or boastfully, but rather with a heart full of justice and seeking and giving mercy. Truly, some situations are petty and we should avoid them, but where justice has been twisted we are required to speak up.
Furthermore, all throughout Scripture we are given God's proclamation to seek justice. For example, Micah 6:8 warrants us "to do justice, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. Also, Proverbs 21:3 reveals, "The Lord is more pleased when we do what is right and just than when we offer him sacrifices." In other words, I do not believe that God calls us to avoid speaking up against injustices; nor do I believe He wants his followers involved in petty disagreements.
In conclusion, the truth of justice commands us to be bold and sometimes confrontational. We can be confident in The Truth we believe, while being gracious and merciful just as Jesus displayed. Then, we can say, "I have not kept the good news of your justice hidden in my heart; I have talked about your faithfulness and saving power. I have told everyone in the great assembly of your unfailing love and faithfulness."(Psalm 40:10)
