This month I have developed a fixation on learning about mountaineering, about K2 and Everest. I’ve read two books, and watched copious hours of YouTube documentaries, and rambled about them to loved ones.
This post is not about that.
It’s about the other fixation that I cannot tear my mind away from; you see, I was raised a Christian. Heavily, thoroughly, permeated-through-everything Christian. I was marinated in the Bible, if you must know. It greeted me at breakfast, perhaps at midday too, it was read in the evenings. It was sung during the day. Bible verses were clung to, repeated, reminded, used to chastise, used to comfort, hung on walls, and written in diaries.
But this post is not about my upbringing.
It is about my confusion as I look out into the world and I see people with the label of my youth doing terrible things, saying terrible things, wishing for terrible things.
Jesus said love God with all your heart and all your soul and with all your mind. And he said also: to love your neighbour as yourself.
He didn’t say that this only counted if the colour of your neighbour’s skin matched yours. He didn’t say it depended on their immigration status, or their integration efforts. He didn’t say that it depended on their sexual orientation, or if they only wore clothes that made you comfortable, or spoke a language you understood.
He said to love. As you love yourself.
Christians will argue until the stars themselves fall about sexual orientation, about how or when someone should be baptised, whether women can teach in church etc etc but you see, when Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was he said: love. God, and your neighbour. He didn’t mention those other things.
And I look out and I see people who call themselves Christian forget this, most vital thing. And I wonder, if this is what Jesus said was the most important commandant and it is ignored – can they call themselves Christian at all?
I look at the US and I wonder if these terrible deeds will happen here, in the UK. We do not live in a perfect world, we never have. But this is not the way to improve it. Look at the leaders and tell me honestly if those people care about a better world, or a better bank balance for themselves. If their integrity and their votes and their voices can be sold to the highest bidder – is theirs really the mast to which you pin your flag?
You don’t have to be a Christian to know that loving others makes us better. That being kind creates a better world. Astronauts who have looked down at our stunningly beautiful, fragile little ball know that borders are man-made things and that we all are neighbours to each other.
We all share this world, you know. All of us. I’d rather be defined by how I loved and cared than by how I feared, or hated.
And I hope that’s the same for you too.
of words & books 