Who’s to blame? That is the question I see lived out every day. Frustrated with our circumstances, we attempt to direct our emotions outward. Something, or preferably someone, must be responsible and we crave a place to vent our frustrations, even if our feelings are misplaced.

We know the current health crisis began in China, and that makes it easy to make the Chinese government, or even the Chinese people the scapegoat for our fear and frustration. Some of my Asian friends are expressing distancing, blame, and abuse from people who appear to be holding them accountable. Recently, a woman was physically attacked on her way into a building simply because of her race, and we even hear our leaders deflecting the blame to China.

Of course, in our own nation, we also want to blame the federal, state, and local governments, sometimes generically and other times targeting specific leaders. Once again, someone must be to blame, and we are sure we know who it is. People dish out anger, accusation, and vitriol like weapons, retaliating for the struggle they face. If it’s not the government, then it must be the irresponsible people who will not take the situation seriously. The list goes on, and if no human is responsible, then we turn our heated emotions toward God.

What if, instead of trying to blame, instead of trying to vent anger, we took a step back? We can choose to move our thoughts and words away from accusation in favor of restoration. All of the energy we waste hunting the culprit and pouring out our rage could be spent in healing our hearts, relationships, and community. Instead of fault-finding, we can become faith-forming. The energy and effort we squander on slander, could radically transform our communities and the world. That is exactly the kind of thing Jesus would do.

One of my favorite insights in reading the Gospels, is watching Jesus ignore all of the political wrangling of the day, while replacing it with the politics of heaven. You never find Jesus engaged in conversations that begin with, “Yeah, those Romans…” He is never drawn into complaining, whining, or cursing others. Instead, he introduces new ways of thinking, talking, and living. By word and example, Jesus demonstrated a better way to treat one another and reveal the kingdom of God.

Praying the Lord’s Prayer, we ask God to align our hearts and purposes with those in God’s heart. We consciously choose to walk in the way of Christ. We ask that God’s name be made holy, that God’s kingdom would be manifested in the world, and that God’s will would be done in all things. Not once do we mention our name, our kingdoms, or our will.

When we are aligned with the plan and purposes of God, we will become agents of God’s kingdom, but the power to bring God’s name, kingdom, and will into the world is not ours. We do not make it happen. We trust in the almighty power of God to accomplish what God wants, while we become emissaries of the divine plan. We are not exempted from responsibility, but invited to participate in what God is creating.

To be clear, racist blame on a people for a disease does not glorify the name of God, exemplify God’s kingdom, or reflect God’s will, neither do vengeful comments, name-calling, demonization, or anything else that attacks another person. The people we blame and demean are all created in the image of God, and are of infinite worth in the eyes of Christ. Who are we to misrepresent our God by joining in with human accusation, complaint, and blame?

The truth, as hard as it is to accept, is that no one is to blame for a virus, and we are all likely culpable of bad choices that put others at risk. We can try to deflect our responsibility and misplace our fears and emotions, or we can partner with Jesus to do a new thing. We can love ourselves as we are loved by God. We can love our neighbors as we are loved. We can speak life, hope, and peace. We can live in a different way, choosing words and actions that reflect the kingdom that is coming. We can replace hate and hostility with love and grace. Simply, we can be the body of Christ, Jesus with flesh on, for the world.

It is easy to fall in with others and follow a human response, but it is worth aligning with God to see divine action. The former will merely create more distress, while the latter will transform the world, and that is a holy, good thing.