Oh no! Here come the Christians.
Young people excited about the new experience of entering high school have their dreams turned in to nightmares by bullying. The resulting loneliness, despair and emotional wounds inflicted on the teens being subjected to this abuse is crushing. Physical, verbal and cyber bullying meant to demean and downgrade is a growing problem. According to the Orange County, California Department of Human relations seventy-one per cent of high school students say bullying is a problem. Parents of a young girl attending Los Alamitos High School in California got so frustrated they offered a $1000 reward for information on who was bullying their daughter.
Attempts to prevent bullying are now being made to insure that the high schools were a safe place for learning. At a public meeting in Long Beach, California secular educators, Christians, Jews and Muslim gathered to develop guidelines to prevent bullying. As the public began to enter the room for the meeting, a Christian member of the Orange County task force over heard two of the Long Beach board members whisper to each other, “ Oh no! Here come the Christians.” She looked up, her heart sank as a sickening feeling swept though her.
The Christians entering the room were holding up signs saying, “ God hates you” and “America is doomed”. They denounced the board for focusing on the perceived bullying instead ridding the schools of the gay students who were sinning and going to hell. Others complained of the Hispanics who were being allowed to attend school despite the fact that their parents were probably illegal. Some questioned why the Muslim girls were being permitted to wear a hijab (the Islamic head scarf) and defended the Jew jokes and fat jokes as innocent fun. The Christians were judgmental, disrespectful and disruptive.
Jesus was sent by God to visit us here on earth that we might know God and learn how to love one another and live in peace. In his first public speech at the Sermon on the Mount Jesus announced that we are not to judge others but rather love one another, be merciful and work for peace.
As followers of Jesus we are called to love, not judge. When we follow the Jesus way, are forgiving, and treat others with respect we bring honor to his name. Others will be drawn to, rather than turned off by, our faith and they will also want to know Jesus, be reconciled with God, find peace today and hope for tomorrow. JDI