Our culture has accepted two huge lies. The first is that if you disagree with someone's lifestyle, you must fear them or hate them. The second is that to love someone means you agree with everything they believe or do. Both are nonsense. You don't have to compromise convictions to be compassionate.
- Rick Warren
Four years ago today, on August 2, 2012 I stole the above quote off the Facebook wall of one of my sisters-in-law. Kristen had posted the above quote. I felt that those who shared it, I found out later that my wife and other friends also shared it, were trying to interject something positive and as a reminder that we are to be the love and compassion of Christ to the world and especially to each other. When I saw her post it resonated within me, and I posted it as well. At the time it seemed like all there was on social media was anger, hate and bickering, and the attacks were just as frequent from and between Christians as the pagans and atheists.
Unfortunately this mess is nothing new. On this day 461 years ago, August 2, 1555, a Protestant man named James Abbes was burned to death in Bury, England for heresy. The Catholic Church didn't care for His views. But the Protestants have burned their fair share of folks too. Which is ridiculous, sad and shameful. We don't do a lot of burning at the stake today, and because of that there are a lot of Christians talking about the violent and deadly evils of some other religions. But we still do more than our share of attacking. Attacking those who believe differently...different religions, different denominations, different anything and everything, And a Christian attacking a non-believer with words is more dangerous, more of threat on an eternal level than anyone from any other belief or non-belief system physically attacking, and even killing, a Christian.
When a non-believer is attacked by the church and or a Christian, they take it as an attack from God and they retaliate, or they run. What they don't do is find the love of Christ and become Christians. There are eternal consequences for that choice, and it is their choice, but that Christian or group of Christians who pushed them away bear some responsibility as well. When Christians are so busy fighting and hating each other over the differences between them, non-Christians are not drawn to Jesus. If they want fighting and dysfunction they can just go on the way things are. We are to be the lights of the world, and lighting up discord does not attract people to the truth. Failing to illuminate the truth and love of God to those who do not know is an eternal epic fail. On the other hand, when a person faces death with peace and joy and love because of what they believe it can actually plant a seed that may grow into fruit of belief in the heart of the one doing the killing.
Jesus said that the world would know that we are His because of the way that we love one another. There are many different denominations because not all Christians agree on everything, but scripture most definitely calls for unity and love. Yes, there are some issues and disagreements that can not be ignored, that can not be allowed to stand lest someone believe a lie with eternal consequences, but to combat them best, proclaim the truth. It is possible to proclaim truth rather than attack those who are lying. They may seem like the same thing, but they are not. Preach the truth in love. We are not called to kill our enemies, not even with words. Jesus said to love our enemies and pray that those the hurt us and use us. When we were the enemies of God, Christ died for us. He didn't kill us so that our behavior, lifestyles and messages would no longer interfere with His truth. He simply put the truth out there and called those who wanted truth to hear it.
I remember when I was around 13 and pierced my ear for the first time. I took it out at home, because I knew that my parents would not approve nor allow it, but in order to keep the hole from healing up at home I placed a stud in the opening pushed flush with the skin. From the the front it looked like a scab on an insect bite that had been scratched or something similar. I got away with it for a few days until my youth minister spotted the back of the spacer when he was behind me. He asked my mother if I had my ear pierced or told her I did, something of that nature. She told him that I did not have my ear pierced. But later, she took a closer look at me, and I was busted.
She was quite upset, and what seemed to bother her the most was less that I had pierced my ear without discussing it or having permission but that I had made her a liar. She said that I hadn't done it when I had, and to her, that meant that she had lied. I thought about that this morning, and I wonder if we upset Jesus the same way. I wonder if He ever stands at the right hand of the Father weeping because we have made Him look at best mistaken and capable of being horribly and foolishly wrong and at worse a blatant liar. He said the word would know we are His disciples by our love.
He didn't say by our outward appearance and clothes, bumper stickers or hair cuts and other religious distinctions. About that stuff He said, "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness." (Matthew 23:27) He didn't say that would know us by how many verses we knew, quoted or posted. Yes, we should know and share the truth of scripture, but the gospels that were inspired by the same Spirit that was within Christ Jesus make it clear that Satan used quoted verses during his attempt to tempt our Savior. Knowledge of scripture and quoting it does not make us or show that we are Christians. He said our love for one another would be what set us apart as His (John 13:35).
Today, let us not make Him a liar. Let us practice restraint of keyboard and tongue and not add to the bickering. Let us proclaim truth rather than attack and let us do so in love. Let us place the principles of the Spirit and the life we share in Christ before the differences and disputes caused by our various personalities and opinions. Jesus also said, "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full." (John 15:10-11) Let us increase our joy and stop the wheel of dispute and hate the world has seen and help make Jesus' words truth today. Let us love one another.
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