I've been thinking a lot lately. Most people will find that odd but whatever. Right now my mind keeps going around in circles on one thing. Love. It's something we all want no matter how much we say in public we don't need it. Love is some that we all search for trying to find and a lot of the times coming up empty handed and right back at square 1.
I mean I've seen love. I see it when I look at my parents. Like any relationship they've had their low points but at the next day my dad is back hugging my mom and calling her his bonita. Makes me wonder why people can't find this love. Why its so hard? Simple. We are afraid. We are afraid to take the risk of finding love and getting hurt somewhere in the process. I hate pain as much as the next person, trust me. But we close off so we don't get hurt and settle for an imitation of what true love is.
We crash and burn and we moan about why can (insert some hollywood actor) come sweep us off our feet and woo us and ride of into the sunset with us to live happily ever after. It's not the way life works sadly. Wish it did. But as my mother is fond of telling me life isn't a movie. But we close off and sadly it takes a lot of heartbreaks and pain until we find someone worth loving. It's sad really. For people who are called to love we judge, tally, measure, and find people unworthy. I'm not just talking about relationships either.
I'm talking about how we treat people. Latest example lets go with (spins random wheel) Prop 8. Oh boy we screwed up there. I'm not saying I'm for gay marriage. I'm not for it either. I like the middle road a compromise which results in amending domestic partnership. However both sides are dug in too deep and are too stubborn to go back to the table. But back to my point. People we are called to love!!! And what did we do. We made signs that said "Go burn in hell. You aren't worth God's love!" And yes I just slammed the church a bit.
As God's people or what ever you want to call us if you aren't Christians and reading this, we aren't called to be a judge. We aren't suppose to point out our fellow man's flaws. If I recall correctly" James 2:10-11 (NIV) For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. For he who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not murder." If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker." So pretty much guess what, you matter what you do, you sin! We sin! We screw up! And that makes us guilty. Sin is sin. But we as humans pick and choose what is worse.
Oh you're gay? That makes you worse than a liar. Oh you had an affair? That makes you better than a murder. Wake up! Sin is sin, it still means that we are imperfect and in need of grace. Here's my idea. Try letting go of the judgments and leave those to God. And be the love incarnate that Jesus called us to be. When he was here, he showed us God's love on earth by hanging out with those who are considered outcasts. Check it out " 9As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. "Follow me," He told him, and Matthew got up and followed Him. 10While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and "sinners" came and ate with Him and His disciples. 11When the Pharisees saw this, they asked His disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?"12On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. " Matthew 9:9-12.
Jesus went to the people who were the social outcasts and in our society that would look like the kids wearing all black, gays, the disabled, take your pick. The point is Jesus came into their lives and hung out with them, getting to know them. He showed them love when their own communities didn't? And we don't why??? So here's another idea of mine. Let love be a verb like it's suppose to. Too often we cheapen it by saying "Oh I love that book." etc.
I know for me I say I love you to my friends a lot. I do. I truly love them. They are pretty amazing and so many other things that I'm not going to list. I love them for them, at least I try to. There are times were I could throttle them but the feeling is mutual. But the point is try being love. Just listen to someone, no judgments no strings attached and just be there for them. That's love. And just go out and be love to people. Make their day a bit brighter by doing something small.
Now I'm not saying that we forgo the whole entire "yes you are sinning and you need Jesus" stuff. But maybe do it with a little less bashing involved. I mean people already know that they screw up. If you are there for them when they do and gently remind them that God loves them no matter what they do instead of saying "You sinner! Bad sinner bad!" You get a lot further with the first instead of the second.
But then again these are just my thoughts. I could be missing the mark here or I could be hitting it. Just remember something "John 15:9-12 :As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you." Jesus calls us to love like him.
And his love was radical. It broke down barriers. It changed the world. Maybe if we start to love like him again. Things would start to change and it would be something pretty cool in my mind. So just let love be a verb in your life and stop making it a noun. Verbs get things done and nouns just sit there.
Ta ta peeps
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