In the midst of political divisions and global tensions, Lent reminds us of our primary identity as followers as Jesus. Bishop Hughes reflects on how following Jesus’s command to love God, love our neighbor, and love and pray for our enemies can guide us as we engage with a world in conflict. (Time: 6:04.)
Video Transcript
This is Bishop Hughes in the Diocese of Newark, and it is the second week of Lent. Our spiritual practices are well underway, and when I talk about the Lenten spiritual practices, I’m talking about the things that we do to remember our identity as people who are following Jesus Christ during this most holy time of the year. Most of us have made some decisions about letting go of things that distract us from our faith. And others have taken on something – a practice, maybe reading scripture or a midweek going to a midweek service – we’ve taken on something to root us more deeply in our faith. However we’ve done that – and some people have done some of both, let go of distractions and taken on something – however we have done that, we have done it so that we are walking more closely this pathway towards the cross, towards death, towards resurrection, of walking alongside Jesus through this time of year.
I want to say too, though, that this holding, deepening our sense of who we are as people of faith, this firming up, shoring up of our identity as followers of Jesus Christ, is important far beyond Lent. It’s not simply meant to be a private practice of our faith. It is to help us live our lives more fully as Christians, and this is especially important in the time that we live in right now, when there is so much that is happening around us that is difficult to take in, that is distressing, that is dangerous. And that we find ourselves, I think very often, when we look at the really complex things that are happening, and the hard and harsh things that are happening around us, like mass deportations, the military strikes that are leading to ongoing and escalating conflict in Iran and the countries surrounding it.
When we look at these things, we automatically have a reaction, and we’re surrounded by people who might be having the same reaction, and I want to say that that reaction very often lines up with a political party. So our reactions, our identity, often becomes as a political person, so much so that we can forget our Christian identity and it starts to take a back seat. Our behavior, our responses, the things that we’re trying to do, become far more political in nature.
I’m not saying that that is wrong per se. We have responsibilities as citizens. We have responsibility to vote. We have responsibility to advocate for people. We have a responsibility to be in contact with the people who serve us in elected office. Those are all things that we do in the political world that are important and very often that lines up by party for different people in different kinds of ways.
What I am saying is, before we even get to that point, must come those words that we remember from Jesus that drive so much of what we do, that the greatest commandment is this, love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind and soul, and the second is like unto it, love your neighbor as yourself. And then Jesus also told us to love and pray for our enemies. So love God, love your neighbor, love and pray for your enemies. That this identity, this identity as a Christian, is our first and foremost and primary identity, and then from that becomes all the other identities that we take on. They inform our choices. As we respond as citizens, as we respond as political people, our response as Christians inform all of those choices.
It’s an important thing to have a true sense of who you are, and this practice that we have all throughout Lent helps to strengthen that, helps to deepen that. It helps us to remember that in following Jesus, we’re following one who was always helping God’s people, and that is our role to help God’s people. And where are God’s people? Everywhere. Whether they believe in God or not, all of them belong to God, and that is our role in following Jesus, is to ask ourselves, how do we love our neighbor? How do we love and pray for our enemy?
Most of us will be asking the question, “How can I help? How can I help?” This starts in Lent. It starts with asking ourselves, “What are the distractions?” and letting those go. It starts with taking a look at those things that draw us more deeply into remembering who we are as people following Jesus. And it starts wherever you are right now.
Somewhere, probably in the same room with you, maybe in the same building, but somewhere is someone who needs your help. Take a look around you and figure out who it is you’re going to help. Somebody needs to know that you care. Someone needs to know that you have a hand that will help them. Someone needs to know how to get legal assistance. Someone needs to know where it is they can be fed. Someone needs to know that someone will pray for them, and most certainly, your enemies, need to know that they have your prayers.
This is who we are as people who follow Jesus. We are people who are called to love God, to love our neighbor, to love and pray for our enemies. This Lent and beyond, remember who you are. Remember who you belong to. That is your identity.
