These days, anything can become the thing that divides. It is true outside the church and inside the church. Modern example? A mask, a set of drums, lighting of the sanctuary, volume of worship, or even a clock. Yes, a clock.

I recently posted about a family visiting my church carrying a bag with a swear word in Chinese. I made a comment about them being a certain kind of immigrant. Apparently, that has triggered the Christians on the opposite political spectrum and they deployed the Cancelled Culture machine. Two days in a row, they have two different people sending an exact letter to the rest of the church staff.

In it, they used the words “hate speech” and “discrimination against immigrants from Hong Kong”. A few factors sure made these complaint email funny.

1. My church serves Chinese who are 99% to be from China.

2. I am an immigrant from Hong Kong.

3. These people are famous for sparing no hateful words in discriminating against people from China.

I am thankful that my fellow staff has been fully supportive of my position. Better, yet, today’s reading is taken from 2 Chronicles 6:22-42. It is about Solomon praying to God as the First Temple was finished and Solomon prayed to God that it will be what makes a difference in the lives of the Israelites. Solomon saw it as the symbol of justice to right the injustice they have experienced since they arrived in Canaan.

Special attention is paid to verses 22-23:

When anyone wrongs their neighbour and is required to take an oath and they come and swear the oath before your altar in this temple, then hear from heaven and act. Judge between your servants, condemning the guilty and bringing down on their heads what they have done, and vindicating the innocent by treating them in accordance with their innocence.

These people do not have to answer to me, nor my fellow staff, nor even my church for what they have done, but the day will come when they have to answer for their act of not letting their “yes” be “yes”, and “no”, “no”. Answering God is going to be a little more challenging than to me.