On June 24, 2022, the US Supreme Court ruled that abortion access is not a right enshrined under the US Constitution. This turned back 50 years of settled legal precedent which said that the government had no right to interfere with women's healthcare decisions. I am angry and heartbroken. What do I do with those emotions? How am I called to serve?
Paul wrote to the Galatians to correct them in the midst of a dispute on whether Gentile Christians had to become Jews first - in other words, did the men have to undergo circumcision before coming to the Lord's table? Paul gave a definitive NO, just as he did with the Council of Jerusalem in the book of Acts. As we get near the end of this letter, Paul is wrapping up his theological treatise with a dose of practical divinity. Chapter 5 gives us a long list of what Paul calls "desires of the flesh." Among these are:
Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, debauchery, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. (Galatians 5:19-21)
Now there's a list for you - and he ends this paragraph with a warning: those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
As the events of the last two weeks have unfolded - three different 1/6 Select Committee hearings and the Supreme Court decision rolling back women's healthcare rights, EPA protections, and limiting gun control measures, I flipped back and forth between anger and despair... both perfectly righteous in my opinion.
But this reading from Galatians, which was the assigned epistle reading for last Sunday (6/26) in the liturgical calendar causes me to pause and ask, "What do we do with righteous anger?" How do we respond to the perceived disregard for the physical and mental health of women and their families? Of the victims of gun violence? Of the desperate needs of our planet to change the ways we live?
It's hard to figure out because the first instinct is to lash out in anger, call opponents bad names, impune their reputations, and call their faith into question. Many feel this is the only justified response - an eye for an eye, so to speak.
But Paul tells us NO.
Live by the Spirit, I say, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh... By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. And those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, competing against one another, envying one another. (Galatians 5:16, 22-26)
Well, crap!
Apparently, we are being called to a more measured, thoughtful, meaningful, and complex response when all we want to do is lash out. And that will take time.
That means that I have to stay informed, filter out conversations that are intended to sow discord, and listen to a variety of voices and experiences. And even when I have an opinion that is different from someone else's, I need to respond and relate to people in love.
That is a tough job, and Paul knew it. That's why he ends his letter to the Galatians with a reminder that love is at the center of our ways of living, and that we cannot produce that kind of love on our own. The fruit of the Spirit is also a gift of the Spirit. As we wrestle with the important and impactful social issues of the day, we must always let the love of Christ be at the center of how we embrace change, disagreement, or division.
We are in for a real fight. I didn't believe them when they said they were coming for our freedoms. That's bad on me. I believe them now. So this is the time for me to clarify who I am and how I identify. I am...
- A United Methodist minister - my denomination gets many things right, but we also have made mistakes...
- A proud progressive military spouse - you'd be so surprised at the number of us (spouses and military members) who identify this way ...
- An ally to the LGTBQ+ community - I am always learning new ways to be both supportive and an advocate...
- A supporter of a woman's access to all healthcare options... not pro-abortion, but pro-privacy and pro-choice...
- Someone who can learn new things and change my mind... it's called growing...
If you didn't know that before, shame on me... now I need to live up to the expectations these identities hold me to.
So what do we do when people want to set up a blatantly tiered society? When the rights of people are being stripped away by a vocal minority. The fight will be hard, but I have to believe it's worth the effort. These are ways we can make change happen.
- Don't believe people who say your vote doesn't matter. It if didn't matter so much, people wouldn't be trying to take reasonable access to the polls away.
- Are you registered to vote in your current location... check your status at https://www.vote.org/ Some states have been purging the rolls, even if you voted in the last election. If you have been deregistered, register again.
- Get informed. Read about the issues from a variety of sources. These people are being elected to represent us - choose wisely.
- Choose a candidate or cause and work in the office, send postcard reminders... do something to support the process of fair and free elections.
- Vote in the primary, if it's still ahead of you.
- Vote in the runoff, if necessary.
- Vote on election day, save a vacation day if you need to.
- Register to vote absentee if you will not be home to vote in person.
- Volunteer at the polls, drive people to vote, or take care of kids so others can go and vote.
- Accept the results of a fairly won election. Don't become a slave to the big lie...
- Be brave. Speak your truth in love... you'll be surprised at how many people will be standing by your side.
Believe that your efforts will make a difference... it is better to light a single candle than to stumble in the dark.
What do we do with righteous anger? This year we live our faith by fulfilling our civic responsibilities... in love, we can do all things. No one ever said it would be easy, just necessary.
Peace, Deb
(c) Deb Luther Teagan, July 2022
