Love Your Neighbor, Even France
I was going to write other words today, but this is what came out on the page
It wasn’t my intention to post anything today. However, once I saw the news this morning, I couldn’t help myself. Thanks, France. Here is the article I read from the International Business Times. CNN, Fox News, CBS, ABC, etc, as of the time of this writing, even had a post about it. The New York Post had a story in addition to IBT and some of the international press but nothing out of the US media, which is telling. Here is IBT’s link, and here is the New York Post’s link.
The opening ceremonies in France parodied the Last Supper by Leonardo Da Vinci. According to the article, the Olympics said the performance was supposed to highlight the absurdity of violence among people. Here is a direct quote from the article quoting the Olympics.
"The Olympics explained that the performance was meant to be an "interpretation of the Greek god Dionysus," intended to highlight "the absurdity of violence among people.""
Once again, the "Tolerant Left" declares Christians are violent. That's the subtle message they are trying to send by parodying the Last Supper, a gathering of Jesus and His disciples in the upper room before His crucifixion. However, let's look at the immediate history of violent and nonviolent actions against this community to see if this claim holds any truth.
Where in Christianity are drag queens thrown off buildings or shot and killed? Some who merely read headlines might immediately recall the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida, from 2016 and declare that an excellent example. However, the shooter in that incident loudly proclaimed his allegiance to the Islamic State, tying that incident to the killing of Abu Waheeb in Iraq. No, that incident isn't it. You can find Wikipedia's entry to that event HERE.
Are there likely incidents in the US of individual violence against drag queens? Likely, yes, but there are incidents of violence against Christians too. For that matter, right now, antisemitic violence against Jews and those who support them, like Christians, is flaring up because of Israel's defense of their nation after the brutal attack from Hamas and Palestine on October 7th. So, that argument falls flat, too.
In almost every instance, these claims eventually come out to be inaccurate. Still, the press in the United States has taken ideological sides, so either bury that reporting or just don't report on it at all. So, where does that leave us? It leaves us in the same place we've always been with no change to the command from God. Love your neighbor, yes, even that neighbor.
28One of the scribes came and heard them arguing, and recognizing that He had answered them well, asked Him, “What commandment is the foremost of all?”
29Jesus answered, “The foremost is, ‘Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is one Lord;
30and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’
31“The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
32The scribe said to Him, “Right, Teacher; You have truly stated that He is One, and there is no one else besides Him;
33and to love Him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as himself, is much more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
34When Jesus saw that he had answered intelligently, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” After that, no one would venture to ask Him any more questions.
Mark 12:28–34 (NASB95)44“But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
45so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
46“For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
47“If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?
48“Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Matthew 5:44–48 (NASB95)