Monday, November 14, 2011

God Is Love -- And He Loves Everyone

I normally don’t take on writing about any subject or person that is considered to be controversial. I try my best to be the peacekeeper in my world, and like Rex the Dinosaur says in ‘Toy Story,’ “I don’t like confrontations!”  However, I get the feeling that with this post, I may ruffle some feathers. Or perhaps not. We’ll see.

The other day, I came across a video posted by my friend, Curt Leininger, on his ‘Created For Blessing’ blog (please scoot over to My Blog List and you’ll find the link to his site). Curt was once my church’s youth pastor and is now the Pastor of Discipleship at a church up in Wyckoff, New Jersey.

To me, Curt has some very different and quite eclectic taste in music, so when I saw his post called ‘Sunday Afternoon Music Video,’ I figured it would be some way cool or deeply thought provoking tune by some indie artist or band I’d never heard of and my interest was piqued.

What I found was a very basic, simplistic, almost childlike musical offering by a band I actually DO know (thanks to my buddy, TJ), called Gungor. The song, which is several years old, is called, ‘White Man,’ and while the lyrics are again -- basic, simplistic and almost childlike -- they are at the same time, to me, profound and true.

And way cool. And deeply thought provoking. I guess two out of three ain’t bad.

The video was put together by a community of artists called ‘The Work of The People.’ It is also very basic with it’s childlike drawings and I must admit, kind of bizarre. I’m sure that for as many different people who view it, there will be that many different reactions/responses. Some may get a kick out of the video, yet totally get the gist of the chorus -- that God is Love and He loves everyone.

Others may not only find the visuals lame, overtly cutsie-pie and silly, ridiculous, somewhat irreverent and offensive, but the lyrics as well -- again, that God is Love and He loves everyone.

Everyone??

Everyone meaning, as the song states:

Atheists and
Charlatans and
Communists and
Lesbians and
Even old Pat Robertson

Catholic or
Protestant or
Terrorists or
President
 
Ok, hold on for a minute there. Really? I’m sure there are people reading this now that may not even stick around to view the video and listen to the lyrics after looking over the list of groups referenced. People who may see themselves in that list (or not) and possibly be:
 
Hurt
Offended
Confused
Irritated or
(e) all of the above

I can’t say that I blame you. Atheists and Lesbians and Terrorists. Oh my.

But -- let’s keep a few things in mind. Mainly, what it says in God’s Word.

First, though, I’m going to back up a bit. Back in September, a young missionary couple from my church sent out their newsletter via email. In it, they mentioned being burdened for people in the Muslim world and then they made this statement:

When Osama Bin Laden was killed, Bill and I truly mourned. We know this was a man who wronged our country immensely, but he was also a man who was spiritually held captive by a religion that led him into darkness. On the day he died, it felt like Satan had won the victory in the fight for his soul.


Apparently, they received some pretty negative feedback from some recipients of their newsletter (whom I’m assuming are mostly Christian) because of that comment and, the very next day, had to send out another email to clarify just exactly what they meant by their stating that they ‘truly mourned’ when Bin Laden was killed. Personally, I kind of thought it was a shame this couple had to do this. Because their saying that Bin Laden was a man who’d been held captive spiritually and led into darkness by his religion, and that they felt that Satan had come out victorious in the fight for his soul seemed to be quite enough of a clarification right there.

And yet, isn’t that what’s going on here anyway? Meaning that Satan, the enemy, has been and continues to be at war for our souls. The souls of everyone. The souls of those who were/are

Atheists
Charlatans
Communists
Lesbians
Terrorists
 
 
The souls of folks like

(Deceased)
Adolph Hitler
Karl Marx
Rock Hudson
Charles Ponzi
Osama Bin Laden

(Living)
Stephen Hawkings
Marilyn Manson
Ellen DeGeneres
Chaz Bono
Bernard Madoff
 
While not everyone in the world can be called ‘children of God,’ they are still His creations. Don’t you think God’s heart aches for those who choose to turn from Him and want nothing to do with Him, those who, for whatever reason, choose the wide path instead of the narrow one? And if we call ourselves followers of Christ, then our hearts should be heavy for those who have chosen the darkness instead of the Light, continually praying for their change of heart, recompense and a receiving of forgiveness, mercy and grace for them right up until the end, and mourning when they choose to remain held captive by the enemy.

So, back to what to keep in mind if you choose to view and listen to this video. And that is, what it says in the Bible, the very Word of God:


When the Pharisees saw this, they asked His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?” On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” ~ Matthew 9:11-13 (NIV)

And we can see that it was while we were powerless to help ourselves that Christ died for sinful men. In human experience it is a rare thing for one man to give his life for another, even if the latter be a good man, though there have been a few who have had the courage to do it. Yet the proof of God’s amazing love is this: that it was while we were sinners that Christ died for us. ~ Romans 5:6-8, (J.B. Phillips NT)
 


My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God. The person who refuses to love doesn't know the first thing about God, because God is love—so you can't know Him if you don't love. This is how God showed his love for us: God sent His only Son into the world so we might live through him. This is the kind of love we are talking about—not that we once upon a time loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they've done to our relationship with God. ~ 1 John 4:7-12, (The Message)
 
The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. ~ 2 Peter 3:9, (ESV)


Believe me when I say that I’m not looking to offend anyone or to tick anybody off with this post. I just want to share that, because of this simple song, I’ve been reminded yet again that we are called not to love the sin…but to love the sinner. We are called to point those hard to deal with, hard to understand, hard to accept, hard to forgive, hard to look at, hard to listen to and speak with, hard to LOVE people to the One Who gave His One and Only Son for them.

Because God is love. And He loves everyone.





(NOTE: I had to use another video of this song, which works just as well, because I couldn’t get the one Pastor Curt used on his blog site to download. Naturally, if you go to his blog, you can see it there. My apologies, as I’m often technically challenged.)

4 comments:

  1. Yes, dear Pam, God is love and He loves everyone. I popped over and saw the video at Created For Blessing. "Stop the hating"...I like that. I don't know why so many Christians waste their time on hate and are blinded to truth and love, wisdom and discernment in the meantime. I've seen it. Apathy and hate in the church and it breaks my heart and more so the heart of God. Yet he can handle it...He already did through the Cross. Those missionaries said nothing wrong- they have Christ IN them and spoke from that AND for that they were shut up? Blind guides, I say for those who made them doubt what resonated within. So wrong. This is a most rocking post. Brave one. Must be the LOTR that gave you the fighting writing inspiration! LOVE WINS! You are my Bloggy BFF, K?

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  2. Pam- Wow...I just had a conversation about such with someone today, but of course, you put it much more eloquently! I have not gotten a response from my statements about hating the sin but loving the sinner, but if they are not happy with what I said, I will direct them here where it is spelled out more completely and beautifully. Interesting about the missionaries and bin Laden. I had such a strange feeling when he was killed. A tremendous sadness...not because he was gone, but because so many were rejoicing in the death of another. Yes, he was a dangerous, hateful, horrible person - but when we exult in the death of another, what does that say about us? I couldn't articulate my thoughts to many because of the strange looks I received. I appreciate reading what was going on in the minds of the missionaries - I understand. Thanks for the post :)

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  3. Toni,

    Thank you, my dear. The truth is often painful to hear, to ingest and digest (ha -- don't I know it?), so you may hear nothing at all from that someone. You always seem to have such enlightening conversations at work. :)

    And yes, I feel the same whenever anyone rejoices in the death of another person. Sickening and scary, as if we are such a barbaric group of beings. I can understand being humbly grateful that the evilness, the hatred, the oppression and the fear that bin Laden (and others like him)generated has been removed, but to celebrate like it's some massive party, shouting and chanting and cheering -- I don't know, it makes my skin crawl. And no, many people don't and won't understand our feeling this way. So sad.

    Thanks for commenting, Toni. <3

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  4. Dawn,

    I have no idea why many Christians get themselves all entangled in webs of hate and judgement. Have they forgotten God's Word that says "ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God?" All is a pretty inclusive term, don't you think? It is such a waste. Too often it seems like some Christians act like they have a lifetime membership to some elite and snobby country club -- no tattooed bikers, no people with body piercings or long hair or spikey hair, no people with accents or dark skin color, no divorcees...the list goes on and on. Do we really think we know who God loves and accepts and who He'd rather not have 'join the club?' Like the Jon Bon Jovi song, I think we 'give love a bad name.' But there's always the hope that those who have been left with a bad taste in their mouths because of a lousy interaction with certain church body members will come across true Jesus lovers and followers who will enable them to truly taste and see that the Lord is good, right?!

    Writing this was a true Holy Spirit thing for me. The Fellowship of the Blogs...LOL! <3

    Thanks for commenting, Dawn. :)

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