Love Thy Neighbor as Yourself

And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”  - Mark 12:28-31

The events of the last week have caused me, like many of you, to do a gut check. Violence, not an isolated incident, but as a thread in the fabric of our American Culture has been evident. Honestly, my emotions have ranged from sad, to angry, to confused. Really, my heart hurts. I enjoy writing posts on family...that was my first thought, but then it hit me...this is my family. There is no condoning what has happened. The families involved need our heartfelt and sincere prayers. They also need us to take a step back and look in two places for guidance and clarity: Scripture & the Mirror. 

GRACE: What a beautiful word. It is a word that wraps up God's action towards us. Undeserved favor. (heavy on the undeserved) We cling to this word as Christians. We know that without it, we are hopeless. We, our own toughest critics, thank Jesus for it quickly, share it with our children instantly, our spouses freely and with many friends over time....the progression is intentional. We understand US and those closest to us. We believe we understand others. We assign our opinion to their motives and often are ready to extend grace...when they come to us and repent, all they have to do is say, "I'm sorry," or "I was wrong." 

Church---This is NOT grace. 

In Matthew 18:21-35, Jesus tells the story of the man who was forgiven much. He was grateful for GRACE, but when he was wronged by another he was not willing to give what he had just received. What was the warning to this unforgiving man? It was not that he was justified in holding a grudge. It was not pointing out that the man in debt is getting what he deserved. It was not praise for being true to how he felt. No, the Master called him "wicked" and delivered him over to punishment. Jesus closes by saying, "So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.” (v.35)

Church, the world will not change because of policy or principle. We will not find relief in picketing, FB or Twitter rants, or famous people holding up a banner. No, the vast majority of the world denies Jesus as the One True God. Therefore we cannot expect them to hold to our truths. 

No, the world will change when WE as Christians understand this. WE are the 'Light of the World.' WE are to be the peacemakers. WE are to suffer so that others can see Christ. If salt loses it's saltiness, then what is it good for? WE must lead.

SIMPLE.YES...EASY.NO

So what are we to do?

LOVE.- Love God and Love people. Not just those who we "like," but all who bear the image of God. This isn't being fake, it's letting what Christ has done in us become visible. There is no person who has wronged us, greater than we have wronged God. It's time for us to embrace that truth. Stirring up movements that attack another brother is sin. Holding a grudge, is a sin. Posting on FB a post to garner personal support or sympathy at the expense of another...is our sin. We are called to build up, not tear down. Church, we must love our Neighbor as ourself. Quick to forgive, slow to get angry. We must take our thoughts captive before we become the unmerciful servant, and be ready to love. It will free your soul! 

LISTEN.- How many times does Jesus say...'LISTEN' or 'HEAR?' We have to understand this. People are different, God designed it this way. It's beautiful and we are a tapestry that is pleasing to God! We know 'Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus.' Yet we assume that we understand people of other cultures without taking time to ask and listen to their stories. In the conversations I have had with people who don't share my identical story, do you know what I have discovered? They see live a little differently than me. Many of our assumptions are wrong, and we need to change that. Now you may be saying, people need to come to the table so that we can talk about things. You may even say, I'm waiting at the table and no-one will join me. 

What if you are at the WRONG TABLE? 

When is the last time you asked for perspective from another brother or sister? Openly, honestly, sincerely...ready to listen, not ready to cut them off to defend your Point of View? 

PRAY.-You and I are NOT enough. We look in the mirror and see our history of failures covered by the veil of Christ. You and I can't fix this. Outside of Christ, we become an unbiblical church/"christian." We must lean into Christ. WE must cry out, hand in hand with all of those who claim Christ Crucified and Resurrected. Yes, pray in secret, but we must also not isolated ourselves, we must come together. It is time for FERVENT, GOD-FEARING prayer christian. 

SIMPLE.YES...EASY.NO

We must step across the picket lines (that we may have setup), humble ourselves, and stop waiting on a official or government entity to "get it right." We must put all of our eggs in the Lord's basket. We must love the Lord and Love our neighbor...Who is my neighbor? The friend we have pushed away, the hurting families in the news, the angry/scared brother of a different skin tone, the neighbor who doesn't speak your same language...we must love them. 

Coffee Prayers and Perspective

Last full day of vacation. It has been a really good week. Waking up to a cup of coffee and the view of the mountains...does it get better than this? To help slow myself down, I've been doing "coffee prayers." All too often I pray for a moment and then jump straight into my Bible study. This week, I have used my first cup of coffee as a prayer time. I'm not done praying, until I'm done sipping. It really has helped elongate my time with the Lord in prayer. 

This morning during my coffee prayer, the mountains were covered with clouds.  The rain was drizzling. 

In that moment it stuck me that I have never paid attention to the clouds from this perspective before. Most the time I am looking up at the morning clouds hoping that the sun is back there somewhere about to burn them up and open up the sky. Today I was eye level with the clouds. Staying at 10,000 feet changes the way I hoped for the clouds to fade away and the sun to appear. 

I could see the sun go to work. No, I couldn't see the sun, but with every passing moment I watched more and more of the town below appear. From the ground, it is hard to know that the sun is at work. We look up and we see consistent cloud cover, but from Elevation, it is easy to see all the work that is being done.

In this moment (it takes much longer to write than it did to see) I began to pray. I want to see life from the Lord's perspective. I want to endure the clouds with a certainty that the dreariness of the moment WILL NOT LAST. I want to lead with the confidence of being "sure of what I hope for and certain of what I cannot see."

To be a husband that doesn't get defeated when he has a disagreement with his wife, a dad who doesn't get swept up in the moment of my child's accomplishments or failures, a friend who holds at bay a quip when nerves run thin, a pastor who can see beyond the moment to what lies ahead. All of these things are so tough from sea level. You know, that shallow part of your faith that prays quickly and spends a 1 minute devotional with God. I want to live a faith at 10,000 feet! Giving generously, loving freely, trusting fully and believing whole-heartedly. 

The air is thin up here. My body tells me that life is easier at sea level, but my faith reminds me that  the life I was made for is in the heavens, not below.