An invasive species is an intruder from another region of the world that wreaks havoc in its new environment. Think bacteria, viruses, insects, parasitic plants, opportunistic animals… and, yes, even human beings.
This is how World Religion Professor Peter Bolland sees Awaken of San Diego, which migrated from Australia and morphed into an organization that openly vows to take territory, surround communities, then make people come out with their hands up and surrender to its will.
In Part Two of my interview, Professor Bolland warns that Awaken, and the Christian Nationalism movement it promotes, threatens our ecosystem as free Americans.
My Invitation to Awaken
Awaken is vowing to come to Coronado, and its founder, Jurgen Matthesius, threatens to run us out of town if we dare oppose him. This defines hubris, arrogance and aggression.
Instead of all the bluster, I invite Awaken to come and preach the Gospel of Jesus. Rather than spreading debunked conspiracy theories and seeking to impose your will on others, spread the good word about loving our neighbors. Practice forgiveness. Serve the poor. Have mercy on everyone.
But please stop demonizing us and trying to dominate us. Don’t threaten to run us out of our homes. Awaken to the fact that we are not territory for your taking, we are a community. You are not going to surround us and make us surrender with our hands in the air. Never.
I encourage you to stop associating with White Supremacists, fascists, militia groups, Nazi sympathizers and antisemites. Support unity, not division. Support democracy, not insurrection. Support peace, not some phony holy war.
I invite you to demonstrate the kindness, compassion, empathy and humility we find in the Bible, and awaken to the truth that we are all God’s children, each and every one of us… even if we don’t always see things your way.
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