A Tale of Two Preachers

by

Views from a Ridge

I'm having a "Jeremiah" moment, and I can be silent no longer (see Jeremiah 23:9). And I credit the Rev. William Barber, II for what I'm about to say.

In January Dr. Barber, head of the organization Repairers of the Breach and the new Poor People's Campaign, served as guest speaker for several Martin Luther King Day observances in Dallas. Hundreds of us packed the sanctuary of Temple Emmanu-El to hear him preach about the "Jeremiah" time we're living through these days in the United States. His sermon was overlaid with a warning to watch out for the ways in which Christian faith is being twisted and corrupted to support the greedy, inhumane policies of the current federal government.

Inspired by Dr. Barber, I'm calling out the man whose arguments most represent this Trump-affirming apostasy: the Rev. Dr. Robert Jeffress, senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Dallas.

As Congress struggles this week with trying to resolve an impasse over immigration reform, Dr. Jeffress wrote a column for Religion News Service claiming that Jesus would approve of building President Trump's border wall in exchange for extending protection to the people known as "Dreamers." They are undocumented young adults brought to America as children by their families, whose legal protection the president revoked last September.

Dr. Jeffress' argument is that the church has no business meddling in immigration reform, because it's the government's job, and whatever the government does to secure the borders is right. To quote Rev. Jeffress:

"Solving DACA without strengthening borders ignores the teachings of the Bible. In fact, Christians who support open borders, or blanket amnesty, are cherry-picking Scriptures to suit their own agendas. And since Jesus fully affirmed every word of Scripture, we can assume that asking “What would Jesus do about immigration?” is the same as asking “What does the Bible really teach about immigration?” As evangelicals, we don’t consult pundits, pollsters or prognosticators. We consult the Bible."

I have news for Dr. Jeffress: we progressive Christians consult the Bible, too, and we use our best God-given mental faculties to understand millennia-old scriptures in light of today's realities. In my consultation with the Bible this week, I couldn't find a single passage in which "Jesus fully affirmed every word of Scripture," nor any affirmation of Dr. Jeffress' biblical interpretations. Jesus did affirm that he was the fulfillment of scripture passages that referred to the coming of a messiah. Jesus also condensed "all the Law and the prophets" into two commandments: We are to love God with all our heart, mind and soul, and we are to love our neighbors as ourselves.

Not once in any of the passages I consulted regarding "Jesus and scripture" could I find a reference to Jesus endorsing building a wall for security. In fact, throughout my life's study as a disciple, I've read that Jesus breaks down walls. But he also brings "a sword," in that those who are truly committed to him and to his teachings stand firm in the face of opposition.

In fact, the idea of commitment to godly teachings forms an overarching theme in the Bible. In the March issue of Sojourners magazine, Dr. Barber writes about lessons from the book of Daniel, especially the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who refused to bow down before the towers of Nebuchadnezzar. Dr. Barber writes:

"Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, three young Hebrew men, represent the choices faced by those who must either support a repressive regime or face certain death. Nebuchadnezzar wanted them to bow – forget their heritage, forget their legacy, forget their journey, forget their God, forget their rights, and bow down."

The cost of bowing down runs higher than merely saving one's own life, Dr. Barber continues: "We live in a country where 250,000 people die from poverty every year. According to the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University, more than 45 percent of black children are poor; 54 percent of African Americans make less than a living wage. Here we are, 150 years after the Emancipation Proclamation, and we have 400 families in this country that make $95,000 an hour while we are locking people up who simply want a $15 an hour and a union. Bowing down is not an option."

No, bowing down is not an option. Not bowing down to President Trump's border wall. Not bowing down to Congress' continual shredding of the social safety net while we build ever larger armories of mass destruction. Especially we must not bow down to false prophets who would distort our faith into an abomination that tramples upon God's love and justice. Dr. Barber again:

"The Bible says in Isaiah 10: 'Woe unto those who legislate evil and rob the poor of their rights and make women and children their prey.' As long as this is our reality, bowing down is not an option."

Apparently Dr. Jeffress' Bible omits this passage, and all the other scriptures in which God  demands justice for humanity. If we, like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, face turmoil or even death for refusing to bow down, God will be with us in our struggle. That's in scripture, too.

Cynthia B. Astle serves as Editor of United Methodist Insight, which she founded in 2011.