This church: valuing even the youngest

Many of us know the story of Palm Sunday: Jesus arrived in peace when many wanted a conqueror. We’ve heard those stories, and we know ancient Jewish believers were wrong to have such a limited view of a savior. But all too often, the conqueror Jesus is who we want in our lives. We have our thoughts, and our opponents have theirs. More than anything, we want to hear that we’re right—that our opponents will be proven wrong and finally have to submit to our way of thinking. We want Jesus to conquer for us while we stand victoriously behind him (because our place is right where Jesus would conquer, of course).

Outside Christian texts, news, and psychology articles, I sometimes read casually about Eastern philosophies. Western thought has some diversity but is more homogenous than we think. Getting an outside opinion on my political and moral views helps put things in perspective. In this case, it gave me a greater understanding of why Jesus’ arrival as a peaceful king was necessary.

One of the most striking differences I’ve found between Eastern and Western thought is how central conflict is in Western thought. We see great strife in all areas of our lives: good vs. evil, light vs. dark, Republicans vs. Democrats, Chiefs vs. Raiders. Conflict and fighting are built into so much of our lives that we naturally fall into that thinking with just about anything. That’s not to say that conflict or an us vs. them mentality is always wrong. There are times when we need to stand up for something and fight for it, and there are times when people are right or wrong. Where we can stray is when conflict and division become the only things we think about.

I’m not saying we must ignore our differences and keep quiet about our disagreements. On the contrary, we need more open discussion about how we disagree and how we can learn from each other. The lesson from Jesus’ arrival is that conflict is not the point, even though the differences are important. Jesus disagreed sharply with the religious leaders of his time, but his arguments were always coupled with invitations. At times, the religious leaders took him up on those invitations and became vital to his mission. Jesus disagreed, but he didn’t seek to conquer—he sought to teach and invite even the worst of his opponents to be a part of his movement.

I won’t mince words: our divided nation will have much conflict over the next few years. For some of us, it is an annoyance, but others worry about community and safety. We will all need to learn and grow in the coming years, no matter how wise or right we consider ourselves. We must confront our differences and disagreements not as conquerors but as healers. Jesus arrived as a savior rather than a conqueror, and as a savior, he invited everyone, even the people who killed him, to be a part of the kingdom of God. That is the love and humility we must apply to all disagreements because that is the way to healing.