When I read about religious organizations or businesses
weighing in on the “hot topics” of today’s political scene and I hear the
demand to pick a side, I think about all of the people who have weighed in on
my life and my choices. I think about the judgment that comes from choosing
divorce over misery or the women who have to put up with abortion condemnation,
while still hurting from their own memories. I think about how in order to be a
certain type of Christian today, you need to stand up and openly condemn other's
choices or struggles while standing between them and God to play judge.
I wonder what it
would have been like to (literally) walk with Christ with that mindset. Picture this: As He reaches out to the hurt and lost, his
“followers” smack His hands away and say: “Not them Lord, they’re not worthy of
your love or your blessings. Please heal and feed the worthy only.”
I can’t even imagine
the mere attraction to a belief system whose main preoccupation is to isolate
others who simply want to cry out to God on their own behalf and receive the
same love and grace given freely to all.
I wonder if where we “Christians” are heading has anything
to do with the initial directive given by Christ while He walked the earth and
how we got so far of course. John 13:34
“A new command I give you that you love one another just as I have loved you…”
Either we are too busy making noise to divert attention away
from our own personal struggles and choices in order to avoid judgment, or we
are truly that blind to believe that the way that we have chosen is perfect and
spotless. Are we so brazen to be the one
who actually picks up the stone in front of Christ to throw it at the very
person/people that He wants to protect and save? And how did that monster of judgment get to be
so big within us?
It is unnecessary to continue with the redundant verbiage of: “I love the people, I just don’t agree with
their lifestyle.” Honestly speaking, no one cares and at this point few people believe
that practiced jargon.
Would it be so hard just to say: “I love the people” and
leave the rest up to God?
Thanks Bonita. I've seen too often the fact that Father loves us right where we are run over rough-shod by those too eager to enforce their version of sanctification. Fueled by legalism and powered by behavior modification these folks have never really received a good measure of Father's love and so are unable to dispense it. Religious spirit is vile and relentless is this way.
ReplyDeleteJesus brought grace and truth. Grace then truth. Belong to the community of Christ, believe Him as savior, then become the righteousness of Christ through His loving transformation.
Our calls to a higher standard, the standard of Jesus, must be offered as aspiration not condemnation. We employ discernment so as too facilitate healing and spiritual maturity. We ought never employ judgment. Discipline is for correction. Judgment is for punishment.
Clark, isn't it wonderful that the higher standard that Jesus set for us is also one that we can reach? The standard of love is all that He requires. I truly believe that the rest of "sanctification" whatever that looks like is born from love. The simplicity of it all is often lost in theological maneuvering.
DeleteWord! Any motivation other than love is religion.
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