Show a little class . . . (warning: a little preachy)

Saturday. Sofa. Coffee.

At lunch the other day a friend of mine said,

"I am sick and tired of hearing the whining and complaining about class warfare by the guys that have already won it."

I wish I had said that.

"Class warfare" is a mantra from page one of the Republican 2012 song book (if mantras are in songbooks. I do not worry about such nuances on Saturday morning, I try not to worry at all on Saturday mornings . . . aummmmmm . . .)  (And I find it very open minded of the Republican conservative  religious right to be chanting mantras anyway, considering that the practice derives from Eastern religions, and I don't mean Boston, so maybe some progress is being made in religious tolerance . . . or perhaps they are singing praise choruses)  The term "class warfare" has been introduced into the discourse by the GOP (I don't really believe the GOP still exists, so I will no longer refer to the Republicans as such. While I have never been a member of the GOP,  I long for the days of the dependable, traditionally conservative adversary, the Grand Old Party. Perhaps I romanticize days gone by)  (I am using too many parentheticals this morning, so I will stop that now.)

I was talking about "class warfare" before I was interrupted by my own parentheticals. The Democrats have generally not used the term "class warfare" in this election season, except in response to the Republicans assertions.  The Democrats, more specifically President Obama, have simply pointed out the rapidly increasing sizes of the upper and lower economic classes, and the endangered species known as middle class America. The Republicans have screamed "class warfare" in response to this statement of an undisputable truth.

There is a sad irony here.  The Republicans cannot win without the support of fiercely committed conservative Christians.  It is these Christians that have, to a great extent, nailed down many of the planks of the Republican platform.

But the nails in the platform are not the only nails being pounded by the harsh, mean rhetoric of the Republican campaign.

For those who have forgotten, Christians are followers of Jesus Christ.  His brief earthly story is recounted in the New Testament.  The One they follow is the One who said, reflecting the prophecy of Isaiah 61:1:

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free,"
Luke 4:17-19

He is the one who said,

"Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
Matthew 19:23-25

He is the One who said,

"‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. ⁴² For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
⁴⁴ “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
⁴⁵ “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
Matthew 25:41-45


He is the One who Paul was talking about when he said:


"This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross."
Acts 2:22-24


Jesus favored the oppressed, the poor, the sick, the outcast,and  the stranger.  His harshest language and actions were directed toward those who ignored, abused and used them.

Policy should be discussed.  Government may be the answer, maybe not.  But Christians, if we are following Christ, cannot tolerate the demonization of those who Jesus said He came to free.  Jesus beloved include those on food stamps.  His beloved include those on "welfare."  His beloved include illegal immigrants. His beloved include children. His beloved include the lonely, the elderly, the sick. His beloved include gays, His beloved include straights.

His beloved include us all, because we are all poor in some way, no matter how much money we have or don't have.

Any words that do not recognize this, do not embrace this, are not the words of Jesus.  And they cannot be the words of anyone who is following Him.

I suppose some might say that Jesus incited "class warfare."  His accusers said as much to Pilate when  they said he was stirring up the people with his ravings.  His words of love. His words of truth.

Put away the nails.

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