Recently, I heard of a woman who was seeking emotional healing. One thing she was dealing with was excessive anger. But, the root of the anger was an abortion she had when she was younger. As she dealt with her abortion, she was invited ask God where He had been. She immediately pictured Him beside her, holding her tiny fetus. At that point, she burst into tears and said, “I always thought He was outside with the protestors.”
Now, I am staunchly pro-life….but that statement brought me to tears….I wept. “Oh God, how many times have I been counted among the protestors? How many hurting people have believed You were among the protestors because I-representing You-was among the protestors?” I began to think….a lot. How many people need to see Jesus in the Christians around them….and they don’t because those Christians are so busy protesting??? How many Christians are far more concerned with representing truth(their version) than representing Jesus? How many people are being hurt because Christians-who are supposed to be representing God to the nations-are hurling insults at them?
I see two extremes in the church today. One side mistakenly believes that all judging is wrong; that we cannot and should not call another’s choice sin. To do so is equivocated with being judgmental, critical and hurtful. The other extreme is the one with which I am most familiar….one which I was a part of…until now. This is the the group that believes they are just taking a stand…..they have drawn a line in the sand. They are so fearful of sin being viewed as acceptable….as a choice. And their battle cry is, “Not on my watch!!” One side believes that if you don’t accept someone’s choice, you don’t love them. The other side believes that to communicate love to a person means you accept their sin. It’s the same lie though. One side is more vocal in that belief, but the other side finds it very difficult to renounce it.
But is not necessary to slay love to speak truth. Truth and love can, and must, co-exist. If truth cannot be spoken in love….it should not be spoken at all. If truth is devoid of love, it is not of God…..no matter how biblical it may be. If Jesus could reach out to a woman caught in the act of adultery and not feel the need to confront her sin head on, why can’t we? Can we look at the world-the people, the souls, the wounded-at the end of our pointing fingers and allow ourselves to be led by mercy rather than judgment? Is it possible for us to stand and believe that something is wrong, yet reach out with love, to the very one engaged in that activity? Jesus did…..we should.
It seems to me, as I read my Bible, that even the worst sinners were DRAWN to Jesus. And, it begs the question, “Are they drawn to His disciples?” Jesus’ harshest words were directed at the traditional “church” of His day…..not for sinners. And, more to the point, when Jesus was directly asked about a woman’s sin….confronted….put on the spot about His opinion of right or wrong….His response caused her accusers to drop their stones and leave. At the same time, it brought healing to her. He did NOT mete out the punishment due her. But, simply told her that He didn’t condemn her and to go and sin no more. If confronting sin and bringing truth to light were so important, why did He not say, “Yes, she is in sin. Deal with it according to the custom.”? But, He didn’t! His mercy responded with love, not condemnation, to this sinner. Jesus was a friend of sinners….are we? He was counted among the transgressors…..are we willing to be?
Right now, those who need Jesus most will not seek Him because all they can see in His followers is what we are against. We are too busy taking stands, speaking out for truth, and confronting sin. Can we reach out to the homosexual without disgust, without judgment? Can we comfort the wife in the midst of a divorce without condemning her? Can we wrap our arms around the woman who has had an abortion and simply love her? Can we help out a wayward teen without any strings attached? Can our service to the lost be motivated by love….not by results? It’s time we stopped trying to change the world and allow Him to change us and make us more like Christ. It’s time we asked God to fill us with His love for the lost; to break our hearts with what breaks His; to see the world through His eyes.
There are hurting people in this world…..people who need Jesus…..can we put down our signs, cross over the lines and love like Jesus did? Or will we continue to reinforce the view that God is with the protestors? When will we the world see Jesus so much in us that they are drawn to us the way they were drawn to Him?