W.W.J.D.

The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. 15 And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. 16 And he told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; do not make my Father’s house a house of trade.” 17 His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.”                – – John 2:13–17

     This past Sunday was a difficult day for Cities Church of St. Paul Minnesota. Their Worship Service was abruptly interrupted. While congregants sought to worship their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ their sanctuary was caustically invaded by a mob of anti-ICE and pro-immigrant protestors. These activists screamed in people’s faces and traumatized families and especially children.

     The aftermath of this unholy action was national attention for the protestors and a shaken-up congregation. There have been no consequences for those who violated the sacred space. No arrests of the offenders. The most anyone will say is that they have been “put on notice”. 

     Just eight minutes up the road (2.6 miles according to Google Maps) from the church is the Planned Parenthood St. Paul Health Clinic. If today a mob of anti-abortion and pro-life activists forced their way into the clinic, yelled at the clinic workers and harassed the patients, what would happen? We all know what would happen. The police would be there in a flash. Every single one of those protesters would be arrested. Everyone would be fully prosecuted. Civil rights charges would be filed. The Minnesota Attorney General would make them pay, because in America Abortion clinics are sacred spaces, even more than churches, and abortion is a sacrament.  Troubling, isn’t it?

     Follower of Jesus please don’t despair. We know what to do when a group of people try to co-opt God’s house for their own purposes. Jesus showed us in John 2:13-17 –  the Scripture above. If protestors interrupt our worship of our King, if activists try to defile our sacred space, our house of prayer for all nations, we need only ask ourselves – WWJD – “What Would Jesus Do?”

     At our church we are zealous for God’s House. We take the command to make disciples seriously. We’ve tried hard to disciple God’s people to be like Jesus.  I am confident that our leaders and I would seek to be the hands and feet of Jesus to any group of protesters defiling God’s house.

     We would use our hands to grab them by the neck, and we would use our feet to kick their sorry butts out the door. 

     And they better hope the police get there quickly. The women of our church are especially zealous for God’s house, and they have experience in the laying on of hands and the casting out of demons.

Blessings,

Pastor Dave Watson, Calvary Chapel