Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“Whoever is not against us is for us.”
NL Daily Devotion for Tuesday, February 13, 2024
by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff
We don’t often hear this phrase of Jesus being bandied about. Usually it’s his statement elsewhere in the gospels where he unfortunately says that “anyone who is not for us is against us,” which I believe is patently false, and therefore question whether he actually said it or if he meant it as we all-too-commonly interpret it.
This twist on the concept—that whoever isn’t actively seeking to undermine us tacitly supports us—lends itself toward the idea of religious tolerance, and general acceptance of one another no matter what—that we can all live together in peace despite our differences. We can love and accept our atheist, Muslim, Jewish, agnostic, Hindu, Buddhist, LGBTQ+, BIPOC, and absolutely all of our neighbors just as they are without any threat to our own faith tradition and beliefs.
But it can also be a strong challenge to us. Think of it this way: anyone who doesn’t actively speak out against injustice is complicit in that injustice. If we are not actively against oppressive practices, we are for them.
As with so many things in life, this is a both/and situation. We can both accept others differences and refuse to accept unacceptable practices. Luckily, God can help us navigate how to interpret each individual situation and ask accordingly.
What does the phrase “Whoever is not against us is for us” mean to me?
