Paul reminds us of Jesus' summary of God's law. He writes:
"Brothers and sisters: Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. The commandments, 'You shall not commit adultery; you shall not kill; you shall not steal; you shall not covet,' and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this saying, namely, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' Love does no evil to the neighbor; hence, love is the fulfillment of the law."
Emmanuel Levinas helps us understand that Jesus' teaching on neighbor love is much more radical than commonly accepted. Loving your neighbor as yourself, Levinas says, does not mean "Love your neighbor because s/he is like you." No, according to Levinas, it means, "Love your neighbor as yourself, because s/he is you."
In other words, there is no meaningful distinction between you and any other human being you care to name -- even if we call them "terrorists." Moreover, if you shared the same history as your "enemy," you would be doing exactly the same thing that currently enrages you. As a result, no killing can be justified. It is suicide. That's the thrust of Jesus' words: to kill the other is to kill yourself. Killing of any kind is suicide.
What does that mean for followers of Jesus' way as we try to respond to the ISIS phenomenon? At least the following, I think:
Facing the fact that the MAIN REASON for our Middle Eastern policy and wars is oil, and doing everything necessary to wean our lives away from dependence on fossil fuels.
Realizing that we cannot expect politicians like President Obama to initiate any other policy than revenge as if the U.S. were principled, civilized, innocent, and pure before an enemy that is completely unlike us.
Nonetheless demanding that our officials absolutely reverse course, recognize responsibility for the emergence of ISIS, and establish dialog with its leaders.
Refusing to allow our children to serve in an armed force that commits ISIS-like crimes on a wholesale scale.
Imagining what would happen if even a quarter of our country's 160 million people who claim to be Christian refused the self-destruction the words of Jesus and Paul imply.
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