Ahithophel said to Absalom, "Let me choose twelve thousand men, and I will set out and pursue David tonight”
We continue in the Old Testament with the loong story of David’s ascent. He’s beheaded people, killed Goliath, loved Jonathan, pursued Bathsheba who was married, had Bathsheba’s husband killed, pursued others, been pursued. Honestly, it’s hard to keep up. They’re all fighting, pursuing, killing, and being pursued. And in the middle of all of what seems to me as tribal warfare, stands King David. Knowing that David ends up being one of Scripture’s heroes, I can at least keep track of David, but it’s hard to remember who’s on what side.There is no world in which he appears the clear white knight, a force of good in a world of evil. And yet his lineage matters. He writes the psalms. He’s honored throughout the ages.
Digressing a bit, my husband and I are starting to watch the mini-series, about “the Family”, the Washington DC based self-professed Christian organization that stands along the side of the rich and powerful political leaders, pushing their agenda. According to the show, this is the group responsible for the National Prayer Breakfast, an annual affair for 50 years, and attended by all past presidents. It’s a covert and exclusive affair, not something you’d generally consider Christian values.
In the second episode, the show explores all of the connections the organization has with rich and powerful Christian politicians who’ve fallen. Badly. One of their members was a man who served 12 months in prison for his role in Watergate, and they welcomed him in after his prison time. Even internally, they were charged with welcoming someone in who went against everything they stood for. And yet, they welcomed him back. Another man and potential presidential candidate had a lengthy extramarital And yet the Family protects and supports these men. The TV show portrays this as a good ol’ boy cover-up, hypocritical at best, dangerous at worst. Their defense? They are chosen by God to be Jesus Followers, and they are to love and support each other. After all, they claim, look at David. Yes, look at David indeed.
As a person who’s actually been charged with being “too nonjudgmental”, I must admit that I lean towards the side of the Family, in their treatment of the fallen. Aren’t we to love and welcome and forgive all? Even the extramarital affair guy, and the Watergate guy? This doesn’t sound like me to cover-up. It sounds like loving the prisoner and the sinner. Aren’t we all the sinner?
And yet, I struggle with this concept of welcoming all. This weekend, there was another clash between conservative right-wing protesters and off the chart liberal counter-protesters. Leading up to that, there were speeches and rallies aimed to explaining that there is no place for hate and racism in our world. Take your racists messages somewhere else. You’re not welcome here.
After working along side the Human Rights Commission in Eugene, there is a long-standing conflict between defending free speech and harboring hate speech. If I am all-welcoming, do I welcome the Proud Boys? If I am all loving, do I welcome the Watergate guy? If I am all forgiving, do I forgive David?
It looks to me like the answer is yes. All means all. Welcome all. Love all. Forgive all. God will sort it all out, and doesn’t need me to decide on God’s behalf. I can’t possibly get it right, as I don’t have the view, understanding or love God does. To be clear, I am not condoning murder, affairs, hate speech, ugly behavior. It is not what we are called to do or who we are called to be.
This morning, I’m thinking about David, the Proud Boys, and the Family. I’m thinking about where that line is between love and hate, forgiveness and blind-eye, between acceptance and cover up. I think I get to make up my own mind on all of that. I think each of us is called to. And in the end, I still believe I am called to love all, welcome all, forgive all, listen to all, however ugly, fallen, hateful, violent they are. I will not behave like them, and I will stand between them and anyone they hurt or offend. But I do believe I’m called to love. I’ll leave the sorting to God.
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