What Would Jesus...uh, Legislate?

I've researched the Indiana Religious Freedom law and am still unclear of its repercussions. I've read it and don't fully understand it. Getting unbiased information is nearly impossible and both sides are relatively convincing. On one hand, I become suspicious of most single interest groups. On the other, I don't trust what some people define as "religion".

If you've read my blog, you know that I am a follower of Jesus Christ. To that end, I am attempting to understand what Jesus' position would be on the matter. All I know for certain is that his choices for company look a lot different than that of many who purport to follow him. Even the Apostles weren't too good at recognizing who his followers were. For example, they thought the "rich young ruler" was a perfect fit for the group. They were wrong. Certainly, as he pointed out, the religious elite of Jesus' day didn't know how to follow him. So, who fits and doesn't fit, I'm always hesitant to say. One pattern I think continues to hold true...his choices sometimes aren't ours and he usually sides with the downtrodden. Similarly, I try to error on the side of inclusiveness and love for others.

So, does this legislation legalize the mistreatment of anyone based on religious conviction?  I don't know. I hope it doesn't. That would be wrong. I've seen that this law is already in place nationally since 1993 and passed with overwhelming support of both parties. Whether there have been negative repercussions of the law, I just don't know.

I do know that there are some credibility issues at stake. One side claims that blatant discrimination will occur here. Some within that group are acting with real aggression toward an entire state populated with many people who have no interest in this legislation. The other side is acting on the fear that their religious liberty is at stake. But, Jesus himself asked for no similar government protection even to the point of his execution.

I hope both sides are wrong. To some degree, I'm certain that they both are; neither side has a corner on the entire truth nor have they an impeccable track record of righteousness. I'm sure this will be read by some as support for the legislation - while others will guess that I'm against it. I tend to side with the great Christian Martyr Dietrich Bonhoeffer that said "Politics are not the task of a Christian". Even more, I side with God and whatever bunch of misfits he chooses as his followers. But, I can't count entirely on my own judgment to determine who they are...or will be.

You Really Can't Make This Stuff Up - the Spirit's Work in the Disciples and Others

Followers understand that God continues to reveal himself throughout the entirety of our spiritual lives.  As the "scales are lifted from our eyes", we begin to see new meaning in Word of God and better understand how God continues to work in the world around us.  We even begin to comprehend how the two parallel one another.  One of the biblical stories that, to me, is one of the most incredible and currently relevant stories in the Holy Bible is that of the Pentecost.

Pentecost is the day in which the Spirit of God filled each of the disciples as they gathered together.  This was after Jesus resurrected and ascended to heaven and the disciples undoubtedly were still questioning what lay ahead for them.  These followers had not been the steadfast group of believers that many perceive them to be.  They had continually doubted and stumbled as they attempted to follow Jesus.  They questioned him, rebuked him, doubted him and finally left him.  During Jesus' trial, torture and execution, they completely abandoned him where he suffered in agony alone.  Peter, the rock on which the church was to be built, fearfully denied any association with Jesus.  Things started changing when Jesus resurrected and spent the next six weeks ministering to them.  This completely radical change continued in the disciples when the Spirit entered them on the day of Pentecost after Jesus ascended to heaven.

When the Spirit of God was poured out on them, the disciples were changed in an dramatic fashion.  They immediately began speaking foreign languages and Peter stood and gave his first sermon as the winds whipped around them.  That day, three thousand people gave themselves to Christ and began to give all of their possessions away.  While these events are miraculous, the testimony of the lives of the disciples in the years to follow was equally incredible.  

The once floundering disciples eventually traveled throughout the world and testified about the story of Jesus Christ.  As a result, they suffered persecution, beatings, and execution - they willingly died horrific deaths as martyrs for Christ.  They were beheaded, crucified upside down, tortured, and exiled.  Where they previously feared being associated with Jesus, their weaknesses which were overcome by the strength of God, were transformed into a fearless passion for Jesus Christ. 

The transformation of these ordinary people cause me to begin to understand the dramatic reality of the power of our God.  Subject to my own limitations, I can see how he works in truly miraculous ways even in the most dire of circumstances.  I also understand that these stories could not be conceived by man and that God is full of astonishing surprises.

The miracle of the Pentecost continues to be revealed similarly in the lives of millions to this day.  It is revealed in the addict who finds the power to defeat the monkey on his back, the person suffering catastrophic loss who is lifted and strengthened, the convicted felon who spends her remaining days helping others avoid similar mistakes, the quadriplegic whose disability becomes a source of inspiration for others.  As incredibly reaffirming as the story of Pentecost is, I believe that the narrative of that day continues to reverberate around us.  These reverberations continue to be a witness to the unending power of God.  I pray that we are willing to pause long enough to recognize and accept them.