I LOVE that!

I use the word "love" very loosely. In fact, I think the word "love" is a cultural phenomenon. "I LOVE chocolate. I LOVE Taylor Swift. I LOVE Edward Cullen. I LOVE my guitar...." We love TV shoes, music artists, movie stars, movies, books, foods, and all sorts of cool fads. We love our things, our possessions, whatever brings us pleasure. The author of 1 John says, "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in her." (1 John 2:15). The last month I've been trying to answer the question, "What do I love?" What stirs my heart? What makes me tick? What inspires me? What makes my heart sing? I recognize an inner battle between differing subjects. The first is the things of the world, fighting for my affections and devotion. It's so easy to love the world and it's temporary pleasures. But loving the world leaves me feeling empty, drained, lifeless, disappointed, frustrated, and always wanting more. The second is Jesus, who has embraced the entire human race and carried us into the presence of God and dropped us in God's lap, where we remain forever. Loving this Jesus stirs my heart and makes my inner being shout for joy. Loving this Jesus... is fulfillment, satisfaction, acceptance, and belonging. Loving this Jesus... well, it's something worth dedicating my life to.

And that is the question, isn't it? Once I answer "What do I love?" the remaining question is whether my life demonstrates that it is Jesus who I love. It is not just Jesus, but it is the things that Jesus loves. I love the Church. I love the world. I love life. I see the world, not as a place of immense suffering and darkness, but as that which has been redeemed and made new in Christ. In Christ, there is beauty and hope for the darkest of circumstances. Like a puzzle I've struggled to put together that suddenly is completed, but I have no idea how the pieces fit together, only that they do, and it is beautiful, and it is finished, and I didn't do it. It can never be taken apart again and the fact that I don't understand it doesn't change it. This is what I love... and this is what I want my life to be - captivated by this Jesus. What do I hope for, in my wildest dreams? I hope that I will be so captivated by Jesus that people will meet him when they meet me, see his eyes in mine, hear his words in my voice, and feel his touch in my hands.

We Will Love

My spirit is heavy and I am so saddened by the passing of Amendment One in NC yesterday. I hurt for my state and all of those who will be affected by it.  I will continue to stand for equality with my brothers and sisters.

But my heart is broken for my country... my heart is broken for the hatred I have seen on my Facebook wall and read in blogs and internet sites. My heart is broken for the name calling and the attacking of one another. As we create a deeper, wider divide between "us and them," my heart breaks and I remember a prayer spoken from another a long time ago, "may they all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I am in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me." (John 17:21). I remember that Jesus allowed himself, willingly, to be tortured and killed, and he did not lash out with hate or name calling. No, he said, "Father, forgive them, for they don't know what they are doing." (Luke 23:34). And when he was resurrected, when he won, he did not rub it into the faces of those who were against him. No, he loved them. Because he knew who the real enemy was and he  defeated him. No matter how many times we wedge something between us and another, Jesus Christ died for all of us and through Christ, through the cross, through the Spirit, we are one.

Justice is not retaliation - justice too easily becomes injustice. Justice… no. Not without reconciliation, understanding, and compassion! It takes time and patience to achieve equal rights in this country. It took over a century for African Americans. It took decades or longer for women. We will not stop. But we must not forget that we are all One. We must not forget that justice belongs to God!

To everyone, I ask, stop judging! Stop pointing fingers. Stop using the Bible against each other! Hatred is not the way of the cross. Hatred is not the way that Christ has called us - "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another." John 14:34.  Did we think this would be easy? Have we forgotten who we were made to be? Have we forgotten the following verse? "By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." John 14:35.

The real enemy is not your brother or sister. The children of God are not your enemies! Our enemy  is evil itself, which seeks to divide us, to drive us against one another, to fill us with hate for each other.  Our enemy is fear. Perfect love casts out fear. Choose love!

Today, I am not ashamed to be American. I am not ashamed to love North Carolina. I am not ashamed of my vote. I am not ashamed of the cross. I am not ashamed of Christ. I am ashamed of the hatred I discovered in my own heart. We should all, "for" and "against," be ashamed of ourselves for the hatred and pride in our hearts

 

I am encouraged by some posts and updates I'm seeing online this morning. Please, everyone, however you voted and however you choose to move forward, stop hating, stop retaliating. Please, choose to embrace, choose grace, choose forgiveness, choose repentance, choose love. Then, with reconciliation being our goal, in compassion, we can seek equality and justice for ALL, placing our hope in the day when we will all be finally and completely reconciled together with our God.