Jesus and The Political Nature of Love

I often get complaints from people when I address political issues. They want me to stick to the spiritual realm.

Impossible!
Because love is political.
Because what is true must apply to all of life.

It won’t cuddle up into a cozy corner of our lives called “spiritual”.

All thoughts, when believed, eventually trickle down into policy.

In other words, if you feel superior to other people, even though you don’t want to, you will inevitably treat other people as inferior.

It’s like genocide. The end result is horrific. But it all begins with the earliest signs like dividing people into “us” and “them”. This attitude eventually trickles down to death.

Like the proverbial gun at the beginning of a story: at some point it must be fired.

Jesus thought positively about the marginalized: women, sex-workers, tax-collectors, the poor, refugees, people of other races, etc. This couldn’t just remain a lofty idea. It trickled down to him hanging out with them… eating, drinking, and talking with them. Loving them!

The message wasn’t just, “I love you”, but "I love you in the face of this present society that ostracizes you and rejects you and causes you to suffer. You deserve a place at the table just as much as they do!”

Those in power… the authorities… don’t like that message… that demonstrable message offends their sense of privilege and entitlement.

To Jesus’ message, “This is how it should be!”, they responded with, “No, we’ll keep it they way it is and eliminate you to ensure it!”

Love is political!