A couple of weeks ago in class, we talked about the impact of certain words and how words have been and can be hijacked. The discussion is often one where progressive religious folks complain that language has been hijacked by the religious right. On Sunday evening, however, I had the good fortune to hear a self-avowed evangelical bemoan how that label had been damaged to the point that he, Tony Campolo, no longer wants to use that name, but instead, has begun to refer to himself as a “red-letter Christian.” His overarching question is: What if Jesus meant what he said?” His statement brought to mind the pointed bumper sticker: “When Jesus said ‘Love your enemies’ he probably meant don’t kill them.”
That question can feed a lot of debates ongoing today; torture, immigration, health care coverage for children, war, etc. That question should also prick everyone, regardless of one’s “labels.” Just as conservatives have tried to reframe “values” to be all about abortion and sexuality, progressives have also chosen a few key issues, to the exclusion of other items that are equally important.
Issues lists are being compiled frequently as we move toward the next presidential election. Are we doomed to continue to make lists such that some items come to the fore over others, or would it be possible to construct questions for ourselves that would lead to just action in a more global sense? Is Tony’s question the key?
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