When they go low…

On the challenge of leading with love in divisive times.

18 yard signs that say “Love your neighbor” lined up in front of an 18th century New England Church next to a free-standing outdoor food pantry.

Recently my congregation and I have been accused of a few things. I’ve been told that I am a “false teacher” who does not love my congregation because we have a Progress Pride flag in front of our church. Our steadfast commitment to the all-encompassing love of Christ has been compared to an “open sewer.” The way we live out our faith in this community has drawn the accusation that we have “ceded [our] ground to the Enemy.” These accusations are ludicrous - laughable - to anyone who knows St. Paul’s. Our church has for years worked in and with this community to help feed the hungry and find new homes and better lives for refugees. In different times all that words like these would merit would be a shrug and an eye roll.

In our current cultural moment words like these are more concerning. We have seen all too often the ways that hate-filled language is used to stir up hate-filled actions. Those who weaponize our sacred texts to point out enemies everywhere provide targets for rage, grievance, loneliness, and fear. Demonizing rhetoric makes a true bully in a pulpit.

I’m no fan of bullies, and I have struggled with my response to these ugly words. On the one hand, shouldn’t I just “turn the other cheek,” suck it up and soldier on? Should I engage with these comments, adding fuel to the vitriolic flame, and in so doing violate the first rule of the internet: don’t feed the trolls?And what about the safety of my congregation, my family, and myself? There is more than enough evidence to show how quickly hurtful language ignites violent actions.

A dear friend of mine, a pastor at another church, recently preached a beautiful sermon for Pride Sunday. Their sermon was picked up by “Christian” Nationalists on the internet. As a result, they were doxxed. They and their family received many death threats. Their congregation and historic building were credibly threatened. Since then, they have taken down their personal social media accounts. More than enough evidence indeed.

Their response? The church printed hundreds of lawn signs with the most elemental message of our shared Christ-centered faith: Love your neighbor. The same message is at the heart of Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism, and many other religious and spiritual faiths, practices, and traditions. The signs were then displayed across the lawn of their church, free for anyone who wanted one. Signs that say “Love your neighbor” are proudly on display all over that community. It seemed like a great idea to me.

And so we have printed 200 lawn signs that all say “Love your neighbor.” They are free to anyone who wants one. They are available in the church. Take one and put it in your lawn. Take one to share with a friend. If you want to and are in a place to be able to do so, make a donation to St. Paul’s to help pay for the signs. They cost about eleven bucks each. If we run out, we can make more.

When I shared this story and our own “Love your neighbor” design with my beloved colleagues in our interfaith clergy group, our church received overwhelming support across faiths and denominations. Faith leaders were eager to display and share our version of the “Love your neighbor” sign on their properties and with their congregations.

I believe that naming bad and hurtful behavior is an important part of loving my neighbor. Jesus stood up for those being bullied, a pattern and model of faithful life. Of course, I don’t always get that right - like Peter ready to fight for Jesus, my fierce Momma Bear comes out to defend my people. That’s why the signs are printed on both sides: even as the sign in my lawn faces the street, the side facing my window reads the same way. I need this message too, a reminder to strengthen the Christ-centered spiritual discipline of loving even those who curse and revile you.

Will lawn signs fix the problems of division, anger, and isolation in our midst? No, of course not. Not on their own. But they do speak to a desire to do better. And every time I see a new sign in our community, I am reminded that I am not alone, our church is not alone, those of us who do our best to do unto others as we would have them do unto us are not alone.

In one of his most famous sermons, 1958’s “Loving Your Enemies,” the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King preached: ​“Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

May God light for us the way of Love in our community and in all communities of the world.