Luke 24:23: Pink is the New Orange, etc

My daughter tells this story. It was anti-bullying day at her school one day. Everyone was told that they could wear pink for the anti-bullying day. They invited everyone to the gym to participate in an event. The people not wearing pink, however, were asked NOT to participate. They were singled out and excluded. In essence they were bullied. I have actually heard more than one story like this over the years of people being bullied by proponents of the cause de jour because they did not conform in the acceptable way.

I have never been the biggest fan of the anti-bullying campaign, for one example. Being anti-anything is a scary place to be emotionally. It causes division and tears people apart. I have seen this: because it is the thing to do, Fred declares himself as anti-bullying; he thus decides he is not a bully (therefore nothing he does is bullying). Bullying does exist –otherwise why would he be anti-bullying- so everyone who is not recognizably on his side (by wearing pink or whatever else) must be a bully. Therefore Fred either tells a teacher on ‘the bully’ (his victim) or gathers his friends to mock or ostracize the bully.

If one actually wanted to stop bullying, one would not have anti-bullying days but rather ‘friendship days’ or ‘help your neighbour days’. If one wants to stop bullying (or any other action) one cannot do so by villainizing others. History shows us (and not too distant history) that this, when developed to its absolute extreme, can lead to mass persecution and even genocide. My cause is right, my side is right; ergo the other side is wrong. We are the good guys so everything we do is right; they are the bad guys so everything they do is wrong. Social media today is filled with self righteous anti-everything hate.

We have just marked Good Friday and Easter in the Christian Calendar. Jesus, rather than being anti-Pharisee, anti-Roman, anti-Temple, anti-establishment; Jesus said of those who persecuted, prosecuted, sentenced, and killed him, “Father, forgive them. They don’t know what they are doing” (Luke 24:34); just as he had extolled us earlier to “Love your enemies and pray for those who hurt you, Then you will be children of your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:44-45).

Today, rather than creating divisions and ostracizing others, let us forgive and accept one another instead. Then, maybe even we will truly be children of our Father who is in heaven.

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