• About

Laced up Lutheran

~ Theology that is Approachable, Enjoyable, and Relevant

Laced up Lutheran

Tag Archives: Sean Donahue

In case you thought racism was far away…

12 Friday Jan 2018

Posted by laceduplutheran in Politics, Theology

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Pennsylvania, politics, racism, Sean Donahue

…It is not.  It is alive and well and in our midst.  And it isn’t even ashamed of itself.  It’s loud and proud.  And it’s hungry for more minds and hearts, and in this case votes.

Here’s a quote from a guy who is running for Congress, right here in Central PA:

Screen Shot 2018-01-11 at 10.12.32 AM

and more:

Screen Shot 2018-01-11 at 10.13.05 AM

(Source: Click here if you want to read all nine pages of this candidate’s rant.  The above quotes are taken from pg. 8 and 9 respectively.)

In case you want to know, his name is Sean Donahue.  On his website homepage he states:

The US was created for Americans who chose to worship God through Christianity. 

Source: Again, click here if you can stomach it.

As a pastor, I question what he means by Christianity and what god he is worshiping.  We can’t possibly be worshiping the same God.

Yet, working my way through the Old Testament, I can’t deny the genocide, racism, and nationalism that is ever-present and done in the name of God.

Humanity hasn’t changed that much – dehumanizing, devaluing, and separating people because of race, belief, etc.  And doing it in the name of God.

It’s right here in our backyard.

But it isn’t the end of the story.  For Christians there is more to God’s story and to God’s relationship with us.  And it is in the person of Jesus – the one who spent time with the outcasts. The one who walked through Samaria – the people the Jews hated and saw no value in.  He not only walked through Samaria, but talked with people and declared salvation to them.

Because that’s what God always does – God goes to the oppressed, to the outcast, to the outsiders and God encounters them.  God dwells with them.  God proclaims a message of hope, peace, forgiveness, and liberation.

It’s not just a message for the outcast and imprisoned.  It’s also for the oppressor.  To free them from their own bondage.  A bondage to fear, anger, hopelessness, mistrust, and more.

It’s a message for you and for me.  It’s a message for Sean also.  Our salvation doesn’t reside in the US as a nation, or the flag, or anything that the nation stands for.  Our salvation doesn’t reside in me-first and us-first mentalities.  Our salvation doesn’t reside in what gun we can tote.  Our salvation doesn’t reside in troops or armaments.  Our salvation doesn’t reside in politicians or in flawed ideology.  Our salvation doesn’t reside in our skin color or in nationalism.

Our salvation resides in Jesus – God who took on flesh and dwelt among humanity.  God who took on specific flesh in a specific place and time.  God who came as a brown-skinned Jew in what is now modern-day Israel and Palestine – not white America.  God who didn’t speak English, but rather Aramaic and Hebrew.  God who looked, thought, acted, and spoke as far different from what White Nationalist picture Jesus to be as you could get.

That is the God I worship.  That is the God I know in Christianity.  That is our hope and salvation.

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 1,173 other followers

Follow Laced up Lutheran on WordPress.com

Tweeting my way through the Bible

My Tweets

Please Pray with me on Twitter daily

My Tweets

St. Stephen Lutheran Church

30 W. Main St.
New Kingstown, PA 17072
1-717-766-2168
Sunday Worship:
8:00am and 10:45am
Education 9:30am

Want to reach me?

matthew@laceduplutheran.com

Check us out online:

pastormatthewbest.com

St. Stephen Lutheran Church website

St. Stephen on Facebook

My Gravatar

laceduplutheran

laceduplutheran

I believe that God, church, and theology are approachable, enjoyable, and relevant for everyone. I write about this a lot because people need to hear it. So many people feel lost, hopeless, alone, and are searching for identity and meaning. I'm an ELCA Pastor (Lutheran) who has a background in politics, business, and the non-profit worlds. I take churchy theological ideas and words and communicate them in everyday language that people can understand, in ways that relate, and show that God, church, and theology matter a great deal. Oh, and it doesn't have to be boring either - mostly because it's the best news ever!

View Full Profile →

Some of the Blogs I Follow

Categories

Powered by WordPress.com.

InkBlots and IceBergs

musings on life | bits of psychology | attempts at poetry

Not For Punks

Claiming spiritual progress not spiritual perfection...

Pastor Matthew Best

"An encounter with Jesus changes lives - your's and mine included."

Into the Foolishness of God

The power of coming into agreement with God's Word and will

Fat Beggars School of Prophets

Go To The Place of Shame, Pain, and Despair and Bear the Image of God There

Intersection of Purpose and Now

Re-connect your thoughts and actions with your deepest values and purpose, and engender the same in others

Typestry

The weaving of words from a Christian husband, father, pastor, professor, and author

Thoughtsalone2017

Thoughts and images for reflection and inspiration

Dog Collar Dreams

Imagining what I would say to my congregation each week if I were a pastor or priest

The Shy Voyager

Explore. Unlearn. Have fun.

Cancel