"...prayer, evangelism and actions of love are the most powerful weapons this planet have ever seen." -from previous posting
"If we judge someone, we have no time to love them"
-Mother Theresa
The other day I was driving to work. Upon entering the driveway I noticed a person sitting in the shade alongside the road (there were actually two people)...she looked thirsty, so I gave water to both people I found there. Talking with them, the man's face visibly confirmed his story of being beaten up and robbed...they were hurting people needing help with the basics of life. My small attempts at loving them were noticed by some others I associate with.
These associates are helpful and give their time and energy to services helping the poor and less fortunate. They even talk with some knowledge for the plight of the homeless or addicted. These are well-intentioned folks. Yet, some comments I heard revealed their fear for my safety and implied put-downs of "those people."
What is more just a week ago I heard a story about the university I attended located at 35th Ave and Camelback Rd in Phoenix. (This university has ministry programs where students and some faculty go door to door helping the families with food, handiwork or other needs. Also, they have a kids program on Saturday mornings.) A security guard was near the fence surrounding the school and noticed a homeless man attempting to enter the premesis. Simultaneously, a group of young men some may call 'thugs,' a 'gang' or at best 'dangerous' (such names are merely judgements of "those people") shouted out to the homeless man, "Hey man, don't mess with them, they love our kids."
My first reflection is that the fear of hurt, of harm or of pain often keeps us from loving "those people."
- May we live from not from a spirit of fear, but from our Spirit of power, love and discipline. Perhaps, if we expect a little hurt to come from loving, our expectations will be more realistic.
Second, fear can move us to avoid engaging "those people" (homeless, poor, minority, "national enemy", alien, homosexual, atheist, etc...) on a personal level. Maybe we give money or time in a controlled environment, which is good and needed, but lacks personally communicating love to an individual.
-May we be live out of our Spirit of power, love and a sound mind. May we pray for each other's boldness in love.
Third, if "those people" are merely living a life from their hurt, then how do they find healing? It seems to me that the Healer would extend it to them. God heals them...OK, maybe more specifically through Jesus, since by His wounds we are healed...but where does the Spirit of Jesus now reside? In the body of Jesus - the Church.
-May those who have been given the Spirit of Jesus allow Him to hone our sights from American culture, Protestant culture or Catholic Culture to the culture of God's Kingdom, where 'Truth and Love' is the currency and everyone is both wealthy and in debt.
Fourth: The students of the university were protected from whatever intentions the homeless person had. I was protected from what my associates feared....when given, love protects the giver. Love is powerful.
God gives life to all people and creatures. If after death an individual's judgement comes (Heb 9:27), then life reveals God's intent for who is to recieve His love. "How will they heal without Love?"
I am in awe that the most powerful Being is mysteriously "Love."
The Vision of this Blog
For two millennia man has been grappling with the cost and practical application of following Jesus Christ. The vision of the authors is that we would encourage one another in this journey as we share what we are learning from Jesus through our daily experiences of life. This is not a forum to parade empty knowledge nor is it a place for prideful arguments. Instead, it is for the humble and sincere to learn together from Jesus who invites us into the kingdom of God and teaches us how to live according to this kingdom.
5 comments:
I remember reading something similar to M. Theresa's quote. It was Francis Frangipane saying that our gifts of discernment can be used to judge people or to love them and intercede for them in prayer. His conviction was that we can not well love or intercede for their good if we take offence by/at them. His direction was to take no offence, to be not offended.
This is really hard, because what do you do when you believe you and the ones you love are in real danger by those who would seem to for meaningless reasons seek to harm you. I know the answer has much to do with behaving as Jesus, even to the ultimate extent of walking to the cross to lay a life down. Is that where you are at? Has His character and heart so found home in you that you are willing easily, regularly to do this. And does it already filter your view of an enemy who is ready to kill you? Are you there already? And if so what has the journey been like?
I found it very interesting to read your blog in the fact that I grew up just down the street from your school. Those "thugs" or that "gang" would have been my friends growing up. I think it is very important for us to realize that often we are only one circumstance away from being "those people."
Danny,
The perspective you just shared is so important for us for it is able to creates in us a heart of gratitude and worship, for we do know all too well our own frailty, and propensity for self-destruction apart from the mercy of Christ. This also leads us to compassion--"to suffer with"
I agree with you Ryan, most days I find that I don't even take the time to try and place myself in another's shoes. I may feel pity, sorrow, and love for others but I admit that my natural response is not to see Jesus when I look at the sun-baked alcoholic wandering down the road. I need a change in perspective - less sports talk radio and more communication with the Suffering Servant
Todd, Danny, Ryan, Joshua
Thank you for responding, honestly I forgot all about the dialogue aspect...as this is my first post on any blog...
Todd,
Regarding your question, about whether I would be willing to be hurt or die at the hand someone I may seek to show kindness to.
First off, that's a big question and of course I would like to say that I would, but my heart is not so set that I can confidently say I would lay my life down to be hurt or killed. However, sometimes I do not see the danger others may see which helps me listen to such persons' story. Neither do I have the eyes to see them as Jesus... yet I want to.
I think this part of my heart comes from parts of my journey as a child. I was often in an environment that was judgemental without knowing anything except appearance about the judged person.
In my adolescant years, I clashed with this pride, not outwardly in speech, but inwardly. Then those same people judged my own appearance...later I was wounded in a differnt way, leaving me to be considered a "those person" by some... God is leading me through my hurt and insecurity coupled with my clash against proud judgementalism to understand people's situtation, story and value those different from me whether or not they live according to my values. My attempts at this are mingled with failure and I sometimes find myself self-protectively avoiding the engagement of such people. Also, I do not regularly seek out these people to love them...but they must be in my path for me to notice them.
Another thought God seemed to provide me as I recently prepared to give a message to the high schoolers is: In Hebrew, 'glory' can mean "weight or significance" -"significance"-'s root word in English is "sign"...so "the whole earth is filled with the glory or signs of God"...I beleive when Jesus said "I am the resurrection and the Life" that life (whomever and whatever has it) is a sign of God, a way to see that God is involved in this person's life, because He gives it to them...
So I think components that have supported me in understanding and loving raggamuffins may come from: my wounding from judgement, my clash against judgmentalism in others and myself, connection with my own hurt and need for mercy, my wounds which could identify me as a "those people", and a desire to see Jesus where I continue to be told to look for Him - in the hurting, broken and despised.
Joshua,
a budding thought as I type: perhaps the way we see Jesus in a person is to relate their hurt to Jesus' wounds and His hurt, just as the way to connect with Jesus' is through our own hurt...
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