Leading with Love

Olivia Brown
Issac Oljatuni
RG_102
14 November 2020
Section One: Leading with Love
Throughout the Bible there are countless examples of misguided spiritual leadership. The
most common example of this lies within the Pharisees and Sadducees, who taught their
congregations with a sense of superiority and let their hatred for Jesus cloud their spiritual
judgement. The Pharisees and Sadducees claimed to love God, but their actions did not align
with their words. This same selfish mentality plagues our society today. Many who claim to
follow Christ and love God with all of their heart, turn around and use His name to justify their
racist actions and mentalities. Jesus is a man who love through action. Through the examples
given throughout his life, readers can learn the importance of sharing God’s love with others
rather than hate.
In Matthew chapter 12, the Bible focuses on a group of Sadducees that were arguing with
each other. Attempting to settle their dispute, they approached Jesus and asked him, “Which is
the most important of the commandments?” to which he responded, “Love the Lord your God
with all your heart and with all your soul.” (New International Readers Version, Matthew 12.30).
Within that same breath he noted that there was a second commandment that held great
importance, “Love your neighbor as you love yourself (New International Readers Version,
Matthew 12.31). Jesus never states that one commandment holds greater value than the other.
Instead, he implies that loving your neighbor is just as important as loving God. With that being
said, it is impossible to truly love God and respect his wishes whilst spouting hate towards His
children.
Earlier on in American history, many white evangelicals misused the Bible to advocate
for the enslavement of black Americans, claiming it was justified. The same white Americans
clawing at the faces of the Freedom Riders in 1961, were avid churchgoers— “Christians”
(Gjelten, 2020). Yet, their actions did not mirror the love and care Jesus exemplified throughout
his lifetime. This same racist mentality has been replicated by MAGA (Make America Great
Again) supporters in twenty-twenty. The America we live in is rooted in hatred and racial
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injustice, from shooting of Breonna Taylor to the murder of George Floyd. This hateful, ungodly
behavior skyrocketed following the inauguration of President Donald J. Trump. Throughout his
presidential campaign and term, he encouraged his followers to engage in hateful behaviors. He
called Mexicans “rapists”, black protestors “thugs”, and even endorsed white supremacists in the
2020 Presidential debate, telling them to “stand back and stand by” (Quinn, 2020). Ironically,
Trump calls himself a Christian, a follower of Christ. Many of his supporters do the same.
However, as Ellen White mentions in her book, “Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing”, in order
to truly love and follow Christ, one must aim to be like God, and God is love (White, 1896).
Many believe that social justice and the church should remain separate, but the Bible says
otherwise. In Isaiah 1:17, it tells people to, “Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the
oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.” Standing up for
your neighbor even as society tries to push them down is love. Advocating for them is love.
Social justice is a matter of love. Jesus makes it clear that love is much more than a feeling, it is
an action (TheBibleProject, 2017). Jesus spent every day of his life standing up for those who
were overlooked and oppressed. He teaches these principles in stories like “the good samaritan”
and shows us countless times through his actions within the gospels.
Through Ellen White’s “Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing”, the life of Jesus, and
many other Bible verses we can see the importance of loving your neighbor enough to stand up
for them when they are down. When we make the decision to devote our lives to Christ, we must
also ask the Holy Spirit to change our hearts, souls, and minds. Once the Lord fills our hearts
with his love, it will begin flowing out to others (White, 1896). It will reflect in the way we move
about life and will shine through in everything we do. Giving us the power, drive, and spirit to
stand up for what is right.
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Works Cited
Gjelten, T. (2020, Jul