Rulers judge Jesus is a problem and rulers target problem people with hostility. Jesus centers himself on people as friends and is focused on being loving. It is therefore not Jesus nor his disciples who are the problem but rulers and their supporters. This is exemplified in today’s Gospel encounter when a ruler, “a scholar of the law, tested” the problematic Jesus with a question. Jesus responds with love; “Love God with all your heart,” and “love your neighbor as yourself.”
The current U.S. ruler and MAGA supporters are judging people as a problem and targeting them with hostility, especially whenever people show love of neighbor. Some people show love of neighbor through state controlled socialism. It means using the people’s money for the people’s health care, Social Security, college, and community safety programs. MAGA opponents claim state socialism means we are led by people like Joe Biden, The Squad, anybody ‘Woke,’ LGBTQ, and antifa (antifascists). The named people, however problematic they are thought to be, are not armed avowedly targeting people with hostility. ‘Socialists’ therefore do not frighten peacemakers, nor the average thinking person. Socialists do, however, frighten Trump supporters. What Trump supporters, who claim to show love of neighbor, don’t seem to know, is that they too want state controlled socialism – specifically state-corporate controlled socialism. It means using the people’s money for the same old wealthy ruler programs that aid elites who plunder our health care, set debt wages, devise racist curriculum (rejecting 1619), and militarize policing. The state-corporate controlled socialism will be forced at gunpoint by judgmental and hostile U.S. Trump supporters, especially self-titled Christians. For example, the KKK that is again endorsing Trump; Proud Boys fascists like the Catholic Gavin McInnes (“Let’s start our own Crusades,” “Trump’s Muslim ban is exactly what we need”); the III% who provide security at rallies for Trump and his Nazi fans (Unite the Right); Boogaloo Boys who are calling for armed insurrection and a 2nd Civil War; 1776 2.0 who publicly call for people to be “shot, stabbed, and beaten”; Oath Keepers, which like other groups has law enforcement members and seeks civil war; Patriot Prayer, which claims a ‘Christian’ mission to stop the U.S. from becoming that “Godless, socialist” nation they fear and regularly lead hostile rallies – pro-gun, pro-confederacy, pro-Trump. Hostile global Trump supporters include proponents and practitioners of genocide; Kim, Orban, Putin, al Sisi, Netanyahu, Erdogan, Duterte, bin Salman, Bolsonaro, and others. The average person knows Trump and his supporters are thus the problem. They are recognized as the danger. Trump supporters, especially the self-titled Christian ones, are worse than the problematic scholar of the law in today’s Gospel. The scholar of the law makes some attempt to connect reasonably with a perceived opponent. Trump and supporters rarely do. The scholar also attempts to connect in this manner specifically with Jesus. Again, Trump and supporters rarely do. Trump supporters, self titling as Christian, are simply not contending with nor are they connecting with the loving Jesus, and are thus the problem. They refuse to abide by and instead actively violate Jesus’ loving witness from today’s Gospel, “Love God with all your heart,” and “love your neighbor as yourself.”
“I have learned this from you: How to love with all my heart and to know the happiness of being loved. I must share it with those people who hate. I am, nonetheless, a mere mortal, and I want to share my knowledge with other mortals… I feel that I love those people who will probably hate me, and I ask you to lead me back among them.” “Go, my son,” she said. “I want to help you make the people of your country kinder.” (Amantine Lucile Dupin)
Prayer: Spirit, keep me loving with those who hate.
Question: Why are so many people afraid to love? Am I?
October 25, 2020 Gospel Matthew 22:34-40 Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time