Jeff Landry and the 'greatest' commandment
Can you claim you believe in “Judeo-Christian values” when you’re unwilling to help the homeless?
When I was new to teaching, I thought my words were the most important part of my lessons. It didn’t take long to realize how wrong that was. I soon realized that students paid as much or more attention to my actions.
“By their fruits, you shall know them,” Jesus said. And an old saying communicates much the same sentiment: “Actions speak louder than words.”
So it is with Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry.
Last week, Landry made it clear that he does not understand this. He believes words speak louder than actions.
After signing legislation requiring all Louisiana public schools to post copies of the Ten Commandments in classrooms, Landry voiced his belief that simply nailing some words to a wall can spark a renewed commitment to Judeo-Christian values.
In a fundraising appeal after signing the law, Landry asked potential donors to “help me not only defend – but ADVANCE – the Judeo-Christian values that this nation was built upon.”
I admire the Ten Commandments as much as any person of faith. But they are mostly a collection of rules governing personal behavior: Thou shalt not murder, steal, covet, commit adultery, or worship idols. And thou shalt honor thy parents and keep the Sabbath holy.
They’re primarily about piety.
No matter what one thinks about the Ten Commandments, it’s interesting that Landry seems to overlook or ignore what Jesus himself said about them.
In one of the gospels' more famous moments, Jesus is asked which of God’s commandments is the most important.
A lawyer asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” (Matthew 22:35-40)
In Luke’s version of this story, Jesus’ answer to the question leads to another question: “Who is my neighbor?” And that prompts Jesus to tell one of his greatest parables: The Good Samaritan.
A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. So likewise, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.’
Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.” (Luke 10)
That story is not about a policy of piety. It’s not about adherence to the letter of the Law of Moses. It’s not about personal morality, i.e., avoiding the standard list of sins in the Ten Commandments.
Instead, the story Jesus tells — the story he connects to what he considers the greatest command in all scripture — is about the sin of caring for people only if you deem them worthy of your care.
And that made one of Landry’s recent vetoes so telling.
On Wednesday, Landry rejected the $1 million lawmakers had appropriated for a homeless shelter in Lafayette operated by Catholic Charities of Acadiana.
As reported by the Louisiana Illuminator:
Gov. Jeff Landry cut $1 million in state funding from the largest homeless shelter in Lafayette because of the help its operator, Catholic Charities of Acadiana, provides to immigrants.
“Part of Catholic Charities mission is to support the influx of illegal aliens into our country. Taxpayers should never foot the bill for nonprofits who are contributing to the illegal immigration crisis our nation is facing,” Landry said in a written statement Wednesday. “I don’t believe the majority of our legislators would support this either.”
Landry removed the money for the organization after state lawmakers overwhelmingly voted to include it earlier this month. The funding was not intended for the group’s immigrant services. It would have helped pay for an emergency homeless shelter serving eight parishes in Acadiana.
Catholic Charities is now scrambling for a new source of support to help keep its shelter open just a few days before its new budget cycle starts July 1. Spokesman Ben Broussard said the cut will have a “crippling impact” on the largest shelter for homeless people in the Lafayette region.
The facility overwhelmingly serves Louisiana citizens. More than 80% of the people who used it last year came from the Acadiana area, and over 90% were state residents. In total, it housed 410 people last year and has 87 people under its roof currently, Broussard said.
Landry didn’t suggest it, but I wonder if he’s considered mailing copies of the Ten Commandments to the homeless of Lafayette to see if they might fill their stomachs on admonitions against adultery and coveting cattle.
Instead, Landry should read the gospels. He might learn something about Jesus’ concern for those living in poverty — and not only concern, but Jesus’ preference for them.
The parable of the Good Samaritan would be an excellent place to start because it’s not only a profound lesson on seeing everyone as a neighbor worthy of love, care, and respect. It’s also a lesson that, often, the despised stranger among us — in this case, a loathed foreign Samaritan — is the story's hero.
Jesus is saying the immigrant is closer to understanding God than all the holy, influential people who follow the letter of the law.
The parable is Jesus’ rebuke to anyone (you, me, or Landry) who would withhold care and comfort from someone because they are in a place — on a roadside or in a homeless shelter — where you and I think they don’t belong.
Jesus seems to say, “I don’t care what law you’ve posted on your wall. I care about the law that governs your heart and motivates your actions.”
Before I retired to live closer to family living in Louisiana I operated a large men’s shelter in the Northeast which was named as Our Brothers Place because it was opened to serve men (Our Brothers) who had no place to lay their heads at night when winter cold and summer heat made it impossible to sleep and get three hot meals a day while the shelter staff helped them to recover. Our Brothers Place was so named to help remind me and others who worked there that we are our brothers keepers and the men that we served were directed to our care because it was known that we would care for them like the Lord would want them to be provided loving care. Disregard the greatest commandment to provide care for deserving homeless people needing shelter shows lack of care for people needing care. Remember that Catholic Charities is doing God’s work in trying to provide care for people who can’t care for themselves.
As always, excellent.