Overcoming evil, hate crimes and terrorism

This last week there have been some complicated issues splashed across headlines, talked about in the news, and posted about on Facebook. There is remembering 9/11 and all those who were lost. It was a tragedy that brought this nation to a halt. Other stories, appear to me, to be responses to the grief and confusion caused by the hate crime towards those working in the twin towers and this nations' very way of life. Mosques are being protested and spiritual leaders are threatening to burn the sacred book of Islam. All going on in the land of the free. Some of this going on in the name of the God of love. While it is important we educate ourselves on the true nature of each of these issues, there appear to be some facts we cannot ignore. Evil exists. It exists in the act that killed thousands and grieved so many more who lost someone whom they loved and who filled their heart and a place in their life. Evil exists in hate, and hate is what causes us to fight and insult one another and the differences between us rather than listen, reason, and most importantly, to love our neighbors as ourselves. Paul writes in Romans 12:21 that we are not to be overcome with this evil, rather overcome it with good. I believe this must be how the God of love would want us to respond to something as small as a misunderstandering and as large as an act of terrorism.

No one said it would be easy...

Well no one should have said it would be easy. That does not stop an unnamed televangelist who Jesus is teaching me to love from saying it!

This brings me to my next question. Why don't we love our neighbor and pursue justice?

I believe that it takes effort. Sometimes we decide that it is too much effort. It seems like I often hear the part of scripture where the Jesus says his yoke is easy and burden light , however, I do recall another scripture that I do not hear quite as frequently...Jesus called us to take up our own cross and follow Him. It takes work to bless those who curse you or curse at you and love those who smell bad or look funny. This week I struggled to be patient with someone who spoke another language. In my weakness, I started thinking that this person was being rude. Then, that still small voice whispered to me, maybe she is as nervous as I was about communicating with someone in a language that is not my own. It takes being patient in a fast-food-fast-paced-one-click shopping world to be able to love while living in this world. It takes laying down my pride and my fears about what someone will think or say about me hanging out with people who are unpopular or different. It is about looking into another person's eyes and seeing who they are created to be, rolling up our sleaves, and deciding to be a part of helping them get there. That is love. And when we do it, we get to get a taste of the Kingdom of Heaven here on earth.
Do Love!

Love thy neighbor as thyself...in an unfair world

The other week we did a little experiment in your youth group that had us look at the true demographics of our world by looking the State of the Village report.  The visual was staggering as we considered that most citizens of this planet do not have access to free education, three squares a day, clean drinking water, let alone an ipod, flat screen tv, guitar hero, or even a cell phone! Much of the things that we take for granted are considered luxuries in many places in the world.  This information causes me to raise several questions.  And I will write about each of these questions.  Today I will write about my first question: Are we better because we have more stuff and education?

It is my opinion that the world says YES. Kids make fun of the kids who do not wear designer clothes in grade school.  This continues in high school.  And sometimes in middle school and high school people are judged by what private or magnet school they attend.  In college people are judged by the prestige(cost) of the university they attend.  Now don't get me wrong,  there is nothing wrong with wearing designer clothes or geting the best education you can.  The heart of this issue is when you decided that your value as a person is higher than the value of another person based on the amount of expensive stuff you own or how much money you paid or someone else paid for your school.    

As a citizen of the Kingdom of God, I need to think before I decide to measure another's worth.  And what I need to think about is the worth they have by simply being created in the image of God.  I need to remember that there is always hope for someone to experience the transforming love of Christ. I also need to remember that I, myself, am a far-from-perfect-but-still-trying follower of Christ.  And maybe, just maybe, my time with someone could be an opportunity for them to see Christ.  That would also mean I would need to get out of the way.  More of Christ, Less of me!