The tale of two churches

In Matthew 13:47-50, Jesus tells a parable in which he says that “the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish.”

He goes on to say that eventually, at the end of the age “all kinds” will be sorted or judged, as either good or bad, wicked or righteous.

In this parable, the net can represent both the kingdom of heaven and the Church. As I reflected on this parable I realized that there was also a net being let down in the state of Minnesota, only this net was actually a distortion of both the kingdom of heaven and the Church.

For many within the church, U.S. President Donald Trump’s immigration policies accurately represent what they believe God wants and their enforcement acts as a net gathering up “all kinds.”

This can be seen in a recent survey in which 57 per cent of white evangelicals not only favour the deportation of undocumented immigrants, but believe they should be sent to foreign prisons, and 53 per cent of white evangelicals approve of placing immigrants who have entered the country illegally into internment camps.

Many believe that it is Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that will accomplish this task on behalf of not only themselves, but God.

This is apparent in recently released social media recruitment videos put out by the Department of Homeland Security in which scripture passages are quoted in support of their work. Peter Wehner wrote in the Atlantic last week saying: “The message is not subtle: ICE is doing the work of God. The brutal and sometimes lethal tactics being used by a growing number of ICE agents are divinely sanctioned. Come join this holy campaign.”

But nets are not precision tools and we continue to see this reality south of the border.

A number of faith-based refugee resettlement organizations have raised concerns over ICE detaining lawfully resettled refugees in Minnesota, rather than the “worst of the worst.” And over the weekend, this net continued to widen, with not only immigrants and refugees, legal or otherwise being caught in its path, but American citizens attempting to care for their neighbours continued to be caught up in this net.

I hope that people will recognize that not all followers of Jesus live by these standards, for this is most certainly a twisting of the gospel.

Jesus knows our tendency is to view ourselves as the good and the righteous and view “them, overthere” as the wicked. That’s why Jesus takes judgment out of the hands of humanity.

Yet, too often, we have the audacity to attempt to do the kind of sorting that even the kingdom of heaven so plainly refuses to do until the end of the age.

Ignoring this parable’s warning and choosing to take judgment into our own hands is what has led many within the church to accept and promote scripture passages being displayed atop images of heavily armed agents in tactical gear, weapons drawn, donning masks, breaking down doors, and conducting nighttime raids.

Thankfully, there is a counter tale taking place, in which faithful followers of Jesus move through the world with postures of grace, generosity, and love.

This is why we are also hearing of churches working hard to protect the marginalized, distribute food and hygiene supplies, and stand shoulder to shoulder with their neighbors in protest of those who seek to oppress and degrade. This is the church I belong to, the church as it was always meant to be.

I do believe that judgment matters, because life is cheapened without it.

We will all be held accountable; not now, but at the end of the age, not by human standards, but by God’s standards, which are always and forever guided by what Jesus Christ did for all of creation on the cross. And just like the cross, the kingdom of heaven is also a mystery in that it comes not when we decide to enforce it, but when God brings it about in God’s own implausible good time.

This is a timely reminder of who the church is supposed to be; not a net gathering up “all kinds” for the purpose of judgment, but rather a net gathering up “all kinds” with the hope of sharing the love and grace of Jesus Christ.

Riley Enns is an armchair theologian and the pastor of Church of the Way in Winnipeg.