A few days ago I was pulling out of a parking lot when an affluent white man in a sleek Mercedes speedily turned into a parking spot almost running over the Hispanic landscaper who was blowing leaves. The man in the Mercedes quickly blew his horn in indignation that the man didn't move out of the way more expediently. Anger was instantly ignited in the maintenance man as it rightly should because really, who did this Mercedes man really think he was?! At this point, the affluent man rolled down his window and started yelling at the maintenance man like he was some sub-human life that was beneath him, but not knowing English, the landscaper yelled back defensively in Spanish. At this point, Mercedes man marched over to the maintenance truck and yelled flinging his arms, "get this man out of here" to the boss-man who sat watching the whole ordeal.
My blood began to boil and even as I write this, a righteous indignation arises deep within my being. Who does this man think he is and how can he possibly treat another human being with such disrespect and hatred? It was a good thing that I was in my car because I would have probably started yelling at Mercedes man and saying things I too regretted. Later in the day, I pondered how I am supposed handle this anger that had been kindled within me. I know that Jesus felt and expressed similar righteous anger at injustice and hatred and rightly so, he caused all kinds of havoc in the synagogue's marketplace. Yet I have seen so called "righteous" anger do all kinds of destructive things like start wars, burn Qurans, kill abortion doctors, and heartlessly roundup undocumented or "illegal" immigrants, tearing them from homes and families.
It is here that I am left wondering what to do with this righteous indignation in the face of the injustice, hatred, and prejudice present in the world. Yet Jesus reminds me that the most important thing I can do is to pray as he did to his heavenly Father, "your kingdom come your will be done". God, you are calling us to be a part of your kingdom here on earth, a kingdom that defies this world's ways and loves those who are often considered "enemies". While there is nothing I could have done to stop the situation that I saw, I can be a part of the coming of God's kingdom here on earth by living a radically different way and showing a love that is only possible through your redemptive work in me.
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