All God's Beloved Children

While growing up in the church, I was taught to value everyone. The church  emphasized Scripture to bring this home: how each of us was created in the image of God; how in Christ there is no longer any Jew or Gentle, free or slave, male or female, but all of us are one in Christ Jesus. But it wasn't just Scripture, my parents' actions (and the actions of other adults) also brought home these lessons. No matter who the person was, they were treated with the respect they deserved for simply being a child of God; even if this was a person perpetuating institutional racism or sexism.

While attending college, this was again emphasized though classes and lectures. By no means were any of us naive, we'd seen too much, and were continuing to see institutionalized sexism and racism perpetuated. But the emphasis was upon working together to help create a better world.

Naturally, with this kind of background, I've been concerned watching US politics, not just with this election cycle, but in the years leading up to it. However, it is my strong conviction to not tell others how they should or shouldn't vote. I respect each of you too much for that.

However, when a presidential candidate is recorded bragging about sexual assaults on women, and when women have come forward stating experiences of just such cases have occurred to them, I feel compelled to say something.

But what to say, and how to say it? "That is so grossly inappropriate and sickening", while summing it up, doesn't seem to be enough. It doesn't seem to be enough when put together it starts to show patterns of predatory behavior.

When added to this are the many racist and misogynist comments in general that this election cycle has brought to the forefront,  I'm left wondering about what kind of progress we as a people of faith have made in seeing others (as truly seeing others) as beloved children of God. 

The problem I've had is that I cannot stop thinking about what this shows. When I  look at the young people I interact with, I wonder what messages they are learning? Who guides them to see others as God's Beloved children?

Again, how to respond? Do I have anything of value to add to what is already being said? Does my silence come across as a rural "I'm not going to comment so that you have the opportunity to pull your own foot out of your stomach" or does my silence mean I agree? (I hope for the first, but fear the second).

So let me go on record as saying that I find this candidate's actions (let alone his comments) as sickly, gross, inappropriate, predatory, ... in a word, wrong.

And then someone pointed me to Michelle Obama's speech given this past week in New Hampshire. Yes, there are some politics here. But she also (and I think mainly) responds out of her leadership position as the President's Spouse. I trust you can tell the difference between party politics and the necessity of needing to respond.

Looking forward to a world in which all God's beloved children can shine,
Joel

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From Evan Halper's Los Angeles Times Article