LAST WORD FOR A WHILE… The Greatest Gift of All… “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts.” (Zechariah 4:6) Some say it is not easy being a Christian, I would venture that it is nigh impossible. I say this not as merely some attempt at deep philosophical naval contemplation, but because I believe only God’s Spirit through Christ Jesus can make and keep a man or woman continuing to be a Christian, apart from the vine we can do nothing, we become dry, and we spiritually wither trying to do impossible things, figure out unfathomable things, or remain spiritually loving in our own strength. When I say it is nigh impossible being and remaining a Christian, I am primarily thinking about how is one to think, meditate, and act during such dark circumstances as we today face in our world? A man accused of being party to the murder of his wife, a man sending hate letters to the widows of soldiers who have served in the Middle East, a man accused of 40 rape and assault charges walks the streets free, this is a man who comes to a country in the West claiming asylum from oppression from the militant Moslems of his native lands. He is granted that asylum, is housed, receives welfare from the tax-payers of his ‘new’ country, all the while using the weaknesses found in a liberal society to continually spit in the face of the hand that feeds and frees him and then… Well, then he rapes and murders and goes on to buy a gun and takes innocent people, whom he has never even met before, hostage, he terrorises them, makes them fear for their lives, scars the survivors for life, and all those who love them; slaughters two of them as they try to protect the most vulnerable of their group, and attempts to divide a nation with fear, loathing and hatred. How is one to remain a Christian in all of that? How can I stop myself from hating that man? How Do I love those who have survived without insulting them about talking about the truth of Jesus in a moment when it is deemed most inappropriate to do so? How do I love the Moslems who are now afraid of a backlash without disagreeing with their belief in Mohammad; how do I support such movements as “I will ride with you”, without injuring their feelings with that very same truth? Before we can even catch a breath, another murderous assault occur whereby children, teachers, 142 unarmed people are butchered by more people claiming to be doing so because of their love of Mohammad. How do I fathom someone, and the belief that drove them, who is actually willing to walk up to a two year old, put a gun to his head, and pull the trigger? How as a Christian am I to feel? Does the love of Christ extend to even such evil as this? How can I love the Moslems who have shed tears over both these massacres without insulting them by pointing out the truth that behind all of this contradictory murder, mayhem and unbelievable sorrow lies one book and what is actually commanded of believers of that book? The one book created both the murderers and many of the mourners all at the same time; and it will continue to do so in the future. How do I speak to the unbelievers of this nation in which I live without making them fear hearing from the point of view of, what is to their minds, simply another religious viewpoint; because after all, isn’t it because of religious differences that all of this violence is occurring in the first place. Do I love them by silence? Do I love them by speaking out, or will that hurt and anger them further, filling them with hatred and dread all the more for the One who loves them more than they will ever possibly understand? How do I love those who have lost loved ones when I believe those loved ones are not now at peace as the world attempts to believe, but that many of those dearly departed have ended up in a place in the outer darkness where is there is much wailing and gnashing of teeth? And how do I convince them that my telling them this is actually an act of love when all it will fill them with is anger, bafflement, and disbelief that the One True God of the Bible is a God of Love? How does one love by breaking hearts along the way; hearts already in shattered shards by all the darkness that has stolen away what little light they believed they had. How does one pick up a dying petal when the merest touch will disintegrate what little of the petal that remains? How does one love in such times as these? How does one express such sorely needed love? How does one remain a Christian in such confusion? Perhaps if I think about who God is, about the fact that Christ taught that God is Love and I examine something of what the Bible tells me of Love, what it is, and what it isn’t; perhaps this might be a good beginning to find ourselves a way out of this labyrinth of evil hatred and unimaginable despair. This is what God teaches about Love… Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” (1st Corinthians 13) Yes, it is extremely difficult, nigh on impossible, being and remaining a Christian, especially in such dark and foreboding times as those in which we currently find ourselves. We can be salt. We can be light. But not salt into an open wound, those wounds need time to heal. And not light so bright it hurts the eyes of those who have been surrounded by such darkness for so long that to do so would make them winch and squint in pain and trepidation. The heart of God is Christ. The heart of Christ is Love. The heart of Love for the Christian therefore is God in Christ. Sometimes love is simply listening as we weep with those who weep… Shalom-Agape AGD
Posted on: Thu, 18 Dec 2014 16:53:02 +0000