Readings for today: Ezekiel 25-27, Psalms 38
As Christians, we do not celebrate the struggles of others. We do not rejoice at their fall. We do not take secret pleasure in their pain. Ezekiel makes it clear that people who do such things will be judged. Either as individuals or as nations. The nations surrounding Israel watched them struggle and eventually fall into ruin. They rejoiced when it happened. Threw parties. Danced in the streets. They even took the opportunity to pile on for their own revenge. Ammon. Moab. Seir. Edom. Philistia. Tyre. All of them are guilty. All of them are judged. Perhaps Tyre most harshly. “Who was like Tyre, silenced in the middle of the sea? When your merchandise was unloaded from the seas, you satisfied many peoples. You enriched the kings of the earth with your abundant wealth and goods. Now you are wrecked by the sea in the depths of the waters; your goods and the people within you have gone down. All the inhabitants of the coasts and islands are appalled at you. Their kings shudder with fear; their faces are contorted. Those who trade among the peoples scoff at you; you have become an object of horror and will never exist again.” (Ezekiel 27:32-36 CSB)
Our world today is full of people who are looking to tear others down. Social media is a dumpster fire of hot takes and snap judgments and misinformation, all designed to take down those with whom we might disagree. Even Christians have gotten in on the act. There is a certain subset that seem to delight in perpetuating conflict and hate and anger. It’s baffling to me. Reminds me of a small group I once led of middle school boys. It was several years ago now. We were discussing what it means to be made in the image of God. Male and female. Black, white, and brown. Rich and poor. Abled and disabled. Young and old. Gay, straight, bi, and trans. Every human being bears the signature stamp of their Creator. We talked through the implications for each of them as they started school. Many of their peer groups had already formed. They knew who was popular and who was not. They knew the kids who were struggling and the kids who were successful. The kids who had tons of friends and the kids who were lonely. We flipped over to Galatians 3:26-28 where the Apostle Paul challenges us to move beyond our social categories and divisions and embrace one another in Christ. We then discussed how we could put this into practice. Each boy gave the name of a fellow student who they struggled with. Someone hard for them to love. Someone they may have made fun of or even bullied at one point. Their homework was to approach that student and find a way to love them in the name of Jesus. Would that we could do the same.
The reality is when we rejoice in wrongdoing or celebrate the fall of others or take pleasure in another person’s pain and heartbreak, we are operating under the influence of the evil one. He loves watching God’s people tear each other apart. He loves creating divisions and factions. He loves to isolate and attack and devour and destroy. As Christians, we must resist this temptation. We must resist the temptation to label others as our enemies. We must resist the temptation to make fun of others at their expense. We must resist the temptation to wound and hurt and pile on when someone’s down. Instead, we must lift them up. We must encourage. We must stand at their side. Show compassion. Grieve with them and for them. Our hearts must break with their hearts. This is what it means to be Christ to others. To show Christ to others. To love Christ as He has loved us.
Readings for tomorrow: Ezekiel 28-30, Psalms 39