Give Me That Good Kind of Religion

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photo of paper heart on burlap with words, "you can choose love today."
It was as if a magnetic force pulled me toward the angry mob. Back in 2014, the NBA Hall-of-Famer turned sports analyst, Charles Barkley, had insulted San Antonio women with cruel remarks about their weight. He also characterized the Spurs players as being too old and un-athletic to win a title. To Spurs fans this was sacrilege. Shortly after he insulted the city, Barkley covered a Spurs basketball game on their home court. My husband and I were at that game.  


As we exited the arena, we saw a large crowd gathered behind the set where Barkley and his colleagues were broadcasting “Inside the NBA.” Though I can’t remember who the Spurs played that night, or if they won, I distinctly remember how quickly I was engrafted into the mob. I stepped toward the people to see what was happening, and suddenly I felt the urge to join the screaming crowd, “CHUCK YOU SUCK!” (And far worse profanity that rhymes with Chuck.) Before the words flew from my mouth, I caught them. I turned to my husband and said, “We have to leave NOW!”  


Shocked by the compulsion to scream at this man, I could not leave fast enough. Why would I engage in such behavior? That’s not me. I know better. I am a pastor committed to the Gospel of peace. Still, it took enormous restraint to stop myself. I am an avid Spurs fan after all, and I was ready to make my voice heard. Then a thought popped into my mind, certainly sent on the swift wings of my better angels. "What if one of my church members sees me? Worse yet, what if they see me on national television?" I grabbed my husband’s hand. Together we pried ourselves away from the furious pack and found our way to the parking lot where sanity reigned.


This memory surfaced in my mind when I watched the angry mob descend on the US Capitol. I wondered how many of them began the day as a peaceful protestor and ended it as a violent rioter, guilty of multiple crimes.Yes, there were some who had been planning an attack for weeks. But there were others who simply succumbed to pack mentality. 


Reinhold Niebuhr said, “Religion is a good thing for good people and a bad thing for bad people.” Did the folks involved in the Capitol riot not have a good church to help them hear their better angels? Pack mentality is a powerful force. It can be destructive or constructive. In this case it was deadly. Our new president cannot defeat this rabid hate alone. It will require the effort of every citizen in this country.   


Of course, we all want to believe we are good people with good religion. The truth is we are a mix of good and bad. We need to challenge each other to be our best selves, not our worst. We are never our best selves when we tear others down. Jesus did not want his church to function as a hateful mob, beating people into submission. Jesus wanted his church to be God’s beacon of light, a place where souls could bathe in divine love, hope, and strength. 


This is evident in the way Jesus spent the final moments of his life. When the soldiers arrived to take Jesus to jail, Peter tried to defend him. Immediately Jesus commanded Peter, “Put down your sword.”  After the resurrection, Jesus told Peter “feed my sheep.”  Note, he didn’t tell Peter to attack the enemies who cried, “Crucify! Crucify!”  Clearly, our call is to serve heaping portions of love to those who are starving for justice. 


May God save the church from being an angry mob of righteous indignation. May we be a group of people committed to the greatest commandment, to love God and our neighbors as we love ourselves.  


In 1963 Martin Luther King wrote "The Pledge of Nonviolence" which all marchers were required to sign. It is essentially a pledge to love. May these words guide our steps as we strive to follow Christ.  


The Pledge of Nonviolence 

  1. As you prepare to march meditate on the life and teachings of Jesus.
  2. Remember the nonviolent movement seeks justice and reconciliation — not victory.
  3. Walk and talk in the manner of love; for God is love.
  4. Pray daily to be used by God that all men and women might be free.
  5. Sacrifice personal wishes that all might be free.
  6. Observe with friend and foes the ordinary rules of courtesy.
  7. Perform regular service for others and the world.
  8. Refrain from violence of fist, tongue and heart.
  9. Strive to be in good spiritual and bodily health.
  10. Follow the directions of the movement leaders and of the captains on demonstrations.


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