Commentary

As a rule, mysteries are my novels of choice. But lately, a friend has been giving me other books that have no semblance of mystery in the sense of a genre; rather, mysteries of life. Two have had a profound influence on my thinking during the past month.

I grew up in a Punjabi household while living in one of the whitest towns in California. I was raised knowing and believing in Sikhism. I spent Sundays going to the gurdwara, a place of worship for Sikhs, and learning about the history from my uncles and dad.

Scripture plainly states that God is the one responsible for our eternal destiny, and that we cannot save ourselves.

And as I watch a TV show like “A League of Their Own,” I can congratulate myself on my own progressive attitudes, on my “wokeness.” So many of my friends are gay. I know and understand them, I tell myself. I am sympathetic to the challenges they have faced, still face. Yes, I like to think of myself as woke on issues of sexuality and gender identity…until I am called out for representing male, heterosexual privilege by a friend whose criticism is as well-intentioned as it is accurate.

In the case of banning books, Christians who desire to live at peace in a society with variant points of view should not force others to read books only they approve. Rather, they should promote a free society where people can choose what they want to read. That doesn’t mean we agree with everything nor shield the world from our influence, but it does mean we encourage and create safe spaces for peaceful exchanges of ideas.

Jesus never condoned violence for his disciples or other followers. Why would any current-day followers of Jesus even consider that Jesus’ ethic of love be associated with violence in action and/or word?