Christian Respect for Humans

This is Father Jared Cramer from St. John’s Episcopal Church in Grand Haven, Michigan, here with today’s edition of Christian Mythbusters, a regular segment I offer to counter some common misconceptions about the Christian faith. A couple weeks ago at the 10am worship service at my parish, St. John’s Episcopal here in Grand Haven, I did something I’ve never had to do before. I asked someone to leave our church property during a worship service. I've served in ministry in a few different areas around the country, including in the DC Metro area, so there have been times before that I’ve had to ask people to leave church property during the week because they were creating such a significant disturbance or danger, but I've never had to do it on a Sunday morning. The people I removed were not members of the church but were visitors who I did not know. The difficulty was that they refused to wear a face mask despite several reminders from various volunteers at the church about our parish’s current policy. This was a particular problem because it was our first Mustard Seed Sunday since COVID-10—mustard seed Sundays are something we do where we put children at the center of the worship service—and we had told parents that they could bring in their unvaccinated children and know that every single person in the church, no matter vaccination status, would be wearing a facemask. But this couple, only a few pews away from children I knew were not yet vaccinated because they were too young, continued to take their masks off until, during a hymn, I asked them to please join me outside for a conversation. Once outside they became belligerent and increasingly disrespectful, and I began to worry for my safety and the safety of my flock. Even then they would not leave until I went to get my cell phone and call public safety for help. I tell this story because it is increasingly common right now to see people using their Christianity as a cover for blatantly disrespectful and dangerous behavior. And so, I’d like to try this week to break something I’m shocked is even a myth… the idea that it’s OK for Christians to abuse and harass people, to ignore the dignity of their fellow humans. In the prayer book of the Episcopal Church, we have something called the Baptismal Covenant. It is a series of promises that mark our understanding of the shape of the Christian life, the way of living we commit to follow as disciples of Jesus. The final question in the Covenant is this, “Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?” To which the candidate for Baptism responds, “I will, with God’s help.” There is a profound lack, right now, among Christians in America, when it comes to showing respect for the dignity of every human being. Something as simple as wearing a face-covering so that parents can feel safer bringing unvaccinated children to church should not result in you standing outside the church and shouting at the priest about your rights being violated. In Ottawa County, crowds of people claiming to be Christians descended on a Board of Commissioners meeting, saying prayers and singing hymns while in the same breath heckling and harassing those who disagreed with them to the extent that people literally felt unsafe, and several decided not even to speak. In Grand Haven, both our Superintendent and the Chair of the School Board—a devoted public servant who has served faithfully for over two decades—resigned due to the harassment they’ve been experiencing. In Kent County, the Health Director had someone try to literally run him off the road on the interstate. Someone else told him that they hoped someone abused his children and made him watch. This is sickening. It is despicable. It is far from the call of a Christian to respect the dignity of every human being. In the third chapter of James, we read, “With the tongue we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse those who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this ought not to be so.” In the midst of all of this vitriol and this violent language and violent actions, Christian leaders in our area have been uncomfortably silent. I know it’s been a hard year for many of them. I know they may be afraid of alienating segments of their congregation by speaking up and saying something. But what does it say that standing against this kind of bullying and violent behavior might alienate members of the church? What does that say about the state of Christianity right now? We must do better. Disagree, absolutely. Debate, please. But the hate speech, the violence, and the harassing even of the families of those with whom you disagree… this has nothing to do with the way of Christ. Christians and pastors must rise up and vocally denounce this sort of behavior or the cost to Christian witness (not to mention the cost to public servants just trying to do their jobs)… The cost will be incalculable. Thanks for being with me. To find out more about my parish, you can go to sjegh.com. Until next time, remember, protest like Jesus, love recklessly, and live your faith out in a community that accepts you but also challenges you to be better tomorrow than you are today.