As I drove home from church, I thought about faith being an action of love. We all know of the myriad of actions that can "do" our love for others. An often-quoted sentence attributed to Jesus Christ is "as you do for others [or "the least of these"], so you do for me." If you've had any connection with Christian churches, chances are you've heard this lesson in various ways.
If you believe deeply in the persona of Jesus Christ, it would follow that part of your faith is acting —and doing — as if the other person is a stand-in for Jesus. (And, you know, that's tough to do with these arch-conservative Christians who want to post "In God We Trust"s on school room walls and municipal buildings, who despise people who are "other," who want me — and progressive people like me —to be exactly like them…or shut up and leave.)
The 2000 presidential campaign in the United States included a debate where a question was asked to the effect (if I recollect correctly) of "who is your favorite philosopher?" Bush made headlines, so to speak, when he said "Jesus Christ." (Personally, I don't think J.C. philosophized so much as instructed.)
So, I'm driving home, trying to put "faith must be an action of love" together with President Bush's action of threatening to bomb thousands of women, men, and children in Iraq, just to try to get one notable, abysmally inhumane dictator out of power. (God knows our government supports and has supported other notable, abysmally inhumane dictators and military governments in other countries. It's only when they stop being kind to our corporations that we give them the boot.)
And I ask, Mr. Bush (who purportedly supports Methodism), where is your much-vaunted faith in your favorite philosopher, Jesus Christ? Just where in your life are you practicing enough actions of love to offset your war-mongering, first-strike belligerence toward the citizens of Iraq? People who have not had much choice in their place of living and no choice in their leadership and who do not deserve what you wish to rain down on them. Please, spare me your profession of the arousal of interest in AIDS victims in Africa.
The hypocrisy of your administration is too much to bear.