Often in Christian conversations and sermons these days, we are told to “stand up for your faith.” It seems like a rallying cry to protect Christianity from an onslaught of perceived threats to moral purity, to individual expressions of faith, to the right to refuse service on the basis of religion, etc. The stance is one of defensiveness.
	Yet I don’t hear Jesus advocating “taking a stand” about morality or doctrine. He was not out to win against people, but instead to win them over. His message and way of life was about compassion, mercy, and justice, all in the service of love. He did not encourage arguing with people we disagree with, but to pray for them. That helps us lean toward loving them instead of demonizing them. 
	Jesus was not a moral policeman seeking out the kind of sinful behavior that the Pharisees busied themselves with: Sabbath-keeping, ceremonial washing, sexual activity. The sins he called out were greed, self-righteousness, exploitation, false piety. Purity was not the highest value. He understood that people are flawed, desperate, and frustrated. His Beatitudes acknowledged people’s experience of suffering and gave them hope. He did not condone sin, but he did not condemn people either. (See John 3:17, the story of Zacchaeus, the prodigal son, etc.)
	Neither was Jesus determined to ensure doctrinal purity. We spend so much time advocating for getting our standards of belief “correct” and arguing about them that we can miss Jesus’ simple message of God’s love and forgiveness for all people. Not to mention his command to care for people in need.
	When a conscientious man asked Jesus what was the greatest commandment, I imagine he wanted to know what pleases God more than anything. What matters the most to God? Jesus’ answer was simple: love. Love the God who cares for you, and love other people at least as much as you love yourself. Jesus said that sums up every message God has ever given us in the law and the prophets. Paul also said in Romans 13:9-10 that loving your neighbor is keeping the law, period. 
	There is a reason the tree Adam and Eve were told to leave alone was called the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Don’t do it, God said. Leave the morality part to me, I think God meant. You and I have enough to do with caring for the earth and each other.
	The Ten Commandments bear it out. They are all about living with love for each other, keeping everybody safe and provided for. God’s way of love for the world, the way to life. 
	When you aren’t sure what to do, ask yourself, “What is the most loving thing to do?” And don’t fool yourself that judging other people’s behavior is loving them. That’s eating of the forbidden tree. Jesus warned against it. Hey, he said. If you think you’re the moral police, it won’t serve you well.  It will come back to bite you. Knock it off. 
	Just love. Stand up for love.