Is it a sin not to help your neighbor?
The book of James 4:17 says, "if you know to do good and don't do it, it is a sin."
That passage brings me to the parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:25-37.
The Good Samaritan
Before we get into the parable, we must understand the conversation between the wise man and Jesus.
A wise man and expert in the law came to Jesus and asked - what he could do to inherit eternal life. Jesus replied, "what does the law say"? The wise man replied with an easy "love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself." Jesus responded by saying, "do these things, and you will live."
At this point, the man was convicted. He had all his theological degrees hanging in his office, so to speak, showcasing them to all who sought his advice. He had the pomp and stature of a man of God - but what Jesus said pierced into the darkest and deepest part of his heart. For him, it was easy to show his neighbors that he loved God; by cloaking himself behind a posture of religion. But, he had a problem loving his neighbor.
How we love our neighbor reflects how we love God.
In the parable, Jesus gives an account of a priest, Levite, and Samaritan, and they are faced with the same challenge. A man has been robbed, beaten, and on the verge of death, but only one would come to his aid - the good Samaritan.
Last week I went to Barnes & Noble with my family, and we browsed the children's books. On display were the featured books of drag queens on a bookshelf. Scanning the covers and titles of these books made me wonder what the writers and illustrators had in mind. But unfortunately, flipping through the pages made it even harder to grasp that the content was intended for children.
Drag Queen Culture
There is no good reason to have illustrated characters of bearded men dressed in woman attire twerking in front of kids. Dancing and singing "If you're a drag queen and you know it," or any other of the provocative books I skimmed through.
Advocates for drag queen culture, books, and performances for kids say it is a form of education, comedy, and art, and as one writer wrote: "To be a drag queen is to be reborn, over and over again, in an image of your own creation. This is empowering."
Regardless of your opinion of drag queen culture, it's not okay to sexualize our young children with inappropriate literature.
Gender-Affirming Health Care
Let's not forget about the gender-affirming health care our State of California provides, including hormone therapy and transgender surgeries for our kids. These are lifelong physical alterations that are irreversible, and God only knows the emotional and psychological trauma this will cause.
Children are being physically and emotionally abused, neglected, and exploited today. But gender-affirming hormones and surgeries and sexually exploited children among adults are excluded from the term abuse.
Abortion in America
In the past 50 years, over 60 million babies have been aborted, and with the turning of Roe v Wade, we are witnessing some of the most sinister acts of legislation against children.
As Christians, we watch our children suffer at the hands of a perverted ideology. But what is being done?
I genuinely call out to pastors and all Christians who have platforms to speak out against the exploitation of children. The church should be the good Samaritan, ready to step in for those in need, as the church has done for many years in America. But what are we doing for the voiceless and the helpless? Not enough!
A Christians need to appeal
When the apostle Paul was wrongly accused of political anarchy, he demanded to appeal before Caesar in Rome as a Roman citizen. He didn't say, well, I don't want to be political; I'll pray and hope for the best.
When we see our children wrongfully abused, we appeal by voting in favor of our children.
Is it a sin to watch our children being beaten, robbed, and deprived of life and do nothing? Yes, it is!
It's not enough to pray, read your bible, and attend church - There is a time to be political.
Speak out on behalf of the voiceless, and for the rights of all who are vulnerable. Speak out in order to judge with righteousness and to defend the needy and the poor.
Proverbs 31:8-10
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