These times are uncomfortable, and it’s incredibly easy and tempting to hide away until everything blows over. Except that there’s no way to do that and truly call yourself a follower of Christ. I often find myself doing nothing in the wrong circumstances, not from apathy or disdain but simply because I don’t know what to do. Yet, I’ve come to realize that doing nothing is not a neutral response but instead making the problems worse. When we do nothing, we are saying, “Yes, it is acceptable as it is. No, there’s nothing I need to do. This issue is not a problem that concerns me, and I don’t care how it turns out for whom it does concern.”
“But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” Luke 6:27-28 NIV
We’re all familiar with this passage. Acting in vengeance is wrong, but not acting at all is just as bad. It’s simple to take these verses to mean that doing nothing is the right thing to do. I believe that they have a deeper context beyond “don’t ever fight back.” The central theme of Jesus’ teachings is love for one another, treating your fellow human as though they’re your family, and no one who loves their family would sit by and do nothing as their family suffers. None of this is to say that it’s wrong ever to feel hatred (that’s impossible) but that redirecting it to an act of love is the best way to combat injustice done to you or those you love.
Instead of shrinking away when facing an intimidating issue, we should ask ourselves: “What is the kindest way to approach this that God would approve of?” Often, it can just be enough to listen to someone about their struggles. Inaction is selfish and damaging. However, acting in love, and through love aiding and protecting your fellow human, is a mighty endeavor.
