Editor’s note. This post is a companion to the previous one. Experiencing opportunities for questioning and challenges in a surprising place. God just pops up in the strangest of places.
Lyft #3
Loving Our Cousins in Faith
By Graham Campbell
“You shall love the stranger for you were the stranger in the land of Egypt.” – Deuteronomy 10:19
“Therefore welcome one another as Christ welcomed you, for the glory of God.” -Romans 15:7
It is Sunday morning, and I am doing what I do every Sunday morning at 9:15, climbing into a Lyft ride to church. Most rides are quiet except for directions from the GPS or often Latin music on the radio, but much to my surprise, as soon as my seat belt is secure, the driver begins to talk explaining he knows exactly where we are going because his church used to rent space at FBC Sunday afternoons. He speaks impeccable English with an accent; I identify as from the Caribbean, deep sounding, solid, and serious. In response to a question, I share I attend regularly. We exchange some friendly comments about being grateful for having a church in which we are comfortable. He then goes on a sermon, “These are the end times. There will be great suffering among all people – even all Christians. All will suffer.” We are now headed down Belmont Street.
I think, “At least he includes the Christians in the suffering and not as some privileged group who escape it.” This sort of theology has always felt like fingernails across a chalk board to me. How can a loving God be this invested in such cruelty?
He continues, “All these immigrants here illegally are bad people, criminals, drug dealers, and thieves out to hurt us.”
I stifle the urge to comment on his accent as a sign he was recently one of the immigrants and bite my tongue hard enough to make me fear I’d need stitches. Fortunately, I don’t taste blood.
He continues along this line including “They should stay where they are.” Which I found quite puzzling since that is clearly what he didn’t do.
I don’t want to debate or argue or respond from my discomfort. Breathing deeply to center myself beyond my reaction, I manage “Our church has some special projects working with these folks. It is part of our mission.”
He pauses a bit perhaps as perplexed as I.
“The lord is coming in all his power; all will suffer until we are sanctified in him and only him.”
I’m still biting my tongue and resisting an urge to tap him with my cane which, since he is still driving, would not have been such a good idea.
I’m wondering now, “How do I stand my ground without antagonizing and without just politely accommodating?” He buys this ‘end times’ stuff and the hate for those he ought to care about, his cousins in immigration. I wonder if he is a Trumper. But mostly I am quiet. Breathing deeply to not react.
We pass the art museum only a minute or two from our destination. The nail scratching will stop soon.
He becomes less vehement reflecting on his church, where he sometimes preaches when he is there. It is just down the road. But he remembers the FBC building well and the opportunity it gave his church to start. He will be going to his church at 12:00 after two or three more rides.
Fortunately, we come down Salisbury Street, and he pulls right into the parking lot. We share a few more pleasantries, and he strikes me in our interaction as warm and kind. He concludes with “Have a nice day and I will pray for you.”
I climb the cement stairs to the door of the church and take my usual seat in a pew assigned by habit. My usual time of meditation is distracted by reviewing the interaction. I look at the program and see that the sermon today is “Loving our Enemies.” I internally snicker,
“Enemies… I can’t yet love my cousins in faith.”
Lyft rides are one of those places where I have the wonderful, though not always enjoyable, opportunity to be presented with faith-filled choices. Places where God pops up with interesting challenges. Loving and welcoming are not always easy.
*********
Addition.
I wrote this a while ago, and while resurrecting it for this posting couplet, I saw the following aspect which I did not recognize at that time.
The last two posts reflect on a surprising experience on rides to church with strangers who for one reason or another share their faith which is both similar to and very different from mine. A wonderful way to be both challenged and seen. Although, I admit if my driver had said anything like “Do you hear me?” or “Do you understand what I am saying?” (As Tom’s driver said.) I would have had a hard time containing myself. But in that situation, Tom and I both avoid confrontation.
But there is also a social phenomenon going on. Each driver is accommodating or, more technically, identifying with the aggressor hoping for reprieve if they align themselves as the ‘good immigrant.’ There is a scene in the movie Schindler’s List which is about a man who protects Jewish people from the Gestapo and secretly ships them out of Germany. The scene is with several Jewish people discussing that they will not be shipped out because they are factory workers and “the Nazis need us.”
One of the things I see is a great deal of anger in the immigrant community/population at those who are so called ‘illegals’ who have ‘given us a bad name.’ Just as during civil rights struggles of the 60’s, there were minority people who wished those ‘uppity’ negros like MLK would shut up.
