hashtags don't change the world
/I'm exhausted.
My brain is completely worn out from trying to keep up with the sensationalism and outrage of the past several days. Every time I open Facebook, a new hashtag is trending - today it's been #MuslimBan, #NoMuslimBan, #BoycottStarbucks, #DeleteUber, #StopPresidentBannon; every other hour, it seems, another celebrity ascends to godlike status for making an emotionally-charged feel-good statement about the issues, another company hopes to capitalize on the heat by taking a side, or another well-meaning believer cherry-picks a Bible verse to back up their opinion - thinking they're dropping a "truth bomb," but really just muddying the waters for others by handling the text poorly.
Maybe it's because I'm an introvert and simply walking into a room of people can be enough to exhaust me, but I truly don't know how anyone has enough energy left to maintain the level of outrage and emotional toll that Donald Trump's decisions apparently demand.
More than that, I don't know how anyone has enough energy left to actually live their lives, do their jobs, or walk in obedience to Christ at this point.
There has been an outcry from the Church regarding President Trump's temporary freeze of refugee immigration from certain countries. I believe this outcry comes from a place of goodwill and grace; for some, a place of believing the new executive order is out of line with the teachings of Jesus. However, I also believe it's a telltale window into the current spiritual state of the American Church.
Right now, the media and those who oppose the agenda of President Trump are creating an atmosphere of high tension and emotional manipulation, and believers on both sides of the argument are allowing themselves to respond with feelings first and facts second. This is a very dangerous habit to get into, particularly when the basis of Christianity is faith - walking in the truth of who God is and what He says, even when our own feelings and judgments contradict that. Feelings are deceitful, easily swayed, and not to be trusted. On the other hand, a sound foundation of facts can help us understand how to respond Biblically to a situation that is much bigger and more complex than a single moral ideal or Bible verse.
I find myself wondering, too, where all of the believers who have suddenly become very vocal about the refugee crisis have been up until this point. Many take to Facebook and Twitter to defend the "orphans and widows" that will be turned away at the border, but have they expended any price of their own time, money, sweat, or tears to help the thousands upon thousands of orphans and widows who have already been admitted to this country? We have massive numbers of refugees and immigrants among us already, from all ends of the earth; are we taking advantage of the incredible opportunity God has dropped in our laps to take His Gospel to the nations, or are we only invested enough to state our ideals behind the safety of a screen?
And what about the Christians who support the immigration freeze? They too are in danger of inaction, but in a way almost more menacing than that of the opposition in that it may blind them to the very humanity of the refugees we will be turning away. Can we be Christlike while shielding our hearts and eyes from the reality of the need completely? I think not. Though national security and terrorism are extremely valid concerns, if we allow them to wipe away our compassion and ability to see people as people, then we will be guilty of defying the most fundamental aspect of our calling as Christ-followers. Support the security of our country, by all means, but never let that be cause to forsake your personal duty to love the nations by serving the individual human beings God has placed in your life.
Matthew records,
Seeing the people, [Jesus] felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest."
Matthew 9:36-38
No matter our views on the borders of our country, all believers are called to the same ultimate priority. We must see people; we must feel compassion for their pain. At the same time, we must do more than tweet about it. We must do more than complain about the government and feed the division. The harvest IS plentiful, but the number of people willing to do the work to bring it in are incredibly few - especially when many of them are busy raging on social media about things they can't change because it's easier than stepping out and changing what is within their reach. Outrage and sensationalism accomplish nothing more than distraction, discouragement, and division, deafening us to the urgency of the harvest. They may give us a sense of usefulness, a feeling that our voice matters, but in reality they simply keep us preoccupied with empty words and volatile emotions so that we can't do any real good for real people. Hashtags don't change the world; hearts do - hearts that know God, that have been filled with His Spirit and His love for people, willing to work tirelessly to see their needs met while expecting nothing in return.
God forbid we hold the government of the United States of America to a higher standard of love and care for orphans, widows, and aliens than that to which we hold ourselves, His Church.
So whether you agree or disagree with the new immigration policy, your charge is the same: stop ranting and DO. Do what you can with what you have where you are. Don't just post your beliefs to Facebook; live them. Pray. Love the people around you. Change the world with your heart, through the tremendous transforming power of the heart of God.
