Love Thy Neighbor

Lev 19: 1-2, 9-18
Matthew 5: 38-48

The passage in Leviticus reminds us of the Ten Commandments as well as the passages we read the last two weeks in Matthew where Jesus explains in depth how we are to behave. We are told not to lie or steal, to not be overly zealous in reaping our harvest, but instead we are to leave some harvest for those that have nothing. We should not pervert justice and we should not curse or put stumbling blocks in front of the blind and deaf.

Some of these commands seem silly, why would anyone curse the deaf or put a stumbling block before the blind? That seems like such a cruel and awful thing to do, have people really done such things in the past? Yes, they did. Back before science could explain so many illnesses and diseases, people that were different were treated as if they had demons or were cursed by God for doing something wrong.
Now that we have more knowledge about science and health, that is a less common treatment of the blind and deaf, but who have taken their place? Society always seems to have to have someone to bear the brunt of their dislike and scorn. In the United States it would be safe to say that immigrants and gay and lesbian people often bear the brunt of our scorn and dislike.

The more I read this passage in Leviticus, the more I thought about my friend John. Some of you know that last year I lost a dear friend, but I did not tell any of you John's story. The passage in Leviticus has made me feel like this is the time to tell you about the man who was John Wilson. Some people that call themselves Christians would tell me that John isn't worth missing. Others would tell me that John is in hell because of the choices he made. I'll let you decide.

John was born the oldest child of two. He was the apple of his father's eye, and John did everything he could to please his father. However, he had a secret that he knew his father wouldn't approve of and when his father found out, John was punished severely. As a teenager he realized he might have some feelings for boys rather than girls. When his father found out, he beat John until he was admitted into the hospital with a concussion and when he came out his mind blocked out his feelings for boys to protect him.

Even though John continued to be a model son, his father never again treated him the same and because of the concussion, John never knew why. He just continued to try. He went into the army and he became an army medic. John felt like if he was going to take lives, he was also going to do the best he could to save them as well.

He went and did two tours in Afghanistan and on the last tour, there was a lot of trouble. A young man got shot up pretty bad and John went in to save him. As he was running toward him, John took a bullet in the shoulder that made him fall so hard that his leg broke. He was laying there, feet away from the young man, a good friend, and watched as the Afghans tried to save that boy. John stared into his eyes as that young man died and as the others began to work on him, he told me all he could think, "If I could have got to him, maybe he'd still be alive. If I had just been a little faster, a little better.."

John survived his wounds and he came back to work on preparing other soldiers to go over. He was a captain and he had medals of honor and bravery. It was never enough for his father. Then John met someone, a man, who didn't shy away from talking about the war or even joking about it with him. This man made him feel alive, cherished, and loved when for so long he had felt empty and lost. John was confused and felt guilty and conflicted. It had been beaten into his mind and body that to have these thoughts and feelings were evil.

That's when I met John. As a Christian, as a pastor - what should I tell this man? What would you tell him? The words of Leviticus keep coming to my mind. "Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly. Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor’s life."

I told John that Jesus loved him. I told him that he was not bad or evil. I know what the Bible says about homosexuality and I understand why some people feel so strongly against it. However, in that moment, as I saw the pain in his face; the absolute agony of trying to understand his emotions and thoughts, I knew it was not my place to judge him but it was my job to remind him that Jesus loved him and had died for him. It was my Christian duty to be there for someone in pain, to help him by listening to his story and trying to understand where he was coming from.

John ended up marrying the man that made him feel alive. They had a beautiful, private ceremony and it lasted for a short, idyllic period. Unfortunately, both in England as well as America, we do not take sufficient care of our troops with PTSD and in a moment of a flashback, John panicked and took his life. He apologized over and over again in his suicide note for not being good enough; for not being strong enough to stay and his last words were that he couldn't handle that he had survived when he was so unworthy when that young man had died.

John never felt he was good enough to be loved. I truly feel like he is dead because of not only his father's actions but because we as Christians do not do a good enough job at loving people. We are too quick to judge them and Jesus never told us to do that. I understand this is an issue that has deep feelings for many people. I am not telling you to change your position; that is for you and God to figure out. What I want to point out is that we always have a choice in how we treat people.

We can love them or we can hurt them. Jesus tells us to love. It's not always easy to do, but it is worth it. John was one of the most giving, self-sacrificing people I've ever met. He never knew his own worth and that is what seems truly sinful to me. In some churches, in some people's minds the idea that John was both gay and committed suicide would be enough to put him in the deepest depths of hell. But what of the man that gave up his peace of mind, and parts of his body, and then later his life so that all of us are safe here today in this church? What about the man that came back broken and suffering and tormented, and decided to help these other young men so they wouldn't be caught unaware as he was? What about the man that decided he needed to help out at medical clinics for free because there were so many that could use some good medical care?

Today I am not advocating for gay rights or anything like that. I am advocating for love and acceptance for everyone no matter who they are because every person has a story. Every person is more than their sins. The next time we feel the need to pass judgment on someone for whatever we think is wrong with them, we need to remember they are more than what we see on the surface. Jesus died for them too and that makes them our brother and sister in Christ. That makes them valuable and beautiful and worth loving.

Christianity is about helping our brothers and sisters. Being there for them. Loving them when no one else will. Not judging their sins because we don't want them judging ours. It's about understanding that EVERYONE sins and there is no degree to sin, no variance. Murder is not worse than a deliberate lie. They're both sins. They're both wrong. WE put degrees on them because it helps us organize it in our minds, but God sees a sin as a sin because sin is what separates us from God.

Some would think that means we're all doomed, but the good news is that Jesus died for EVERY sin so that when we ask God to forgive us, when we finally understand the sins we have committed have hurt ourselves and others that we can obtain forgiveness for them. Whether it's a lie or a murder - once we understand the depth of pain we've caused and feel remorse - forgiveness is given. Therefore, there is no degree to sins because Jesus has made us all equal in the eyes of God.

Do not judge your brother or sister because you are just like them - whether you want to admit it or believe it or not - in God's eyes we are all God's children and LOVED.

Amen.