Maybe I Just See Things Differently
I think my view of Christianity is vastly different from what seems like the majority. I can’t tell if it’s a good thing or a bad thing. I have a more inclusive view of Christianity but not because I think that everyone gets into heaven no matter what, or that sin is fake. It’s because I trust that God will be God. God called me to love Him and love His people. Matthew 22:36 states:
“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” (ESV).
See, God loves me and I love Him. And because of His love for me, I can love my neighbor. I try not to judge others. I try to rid myself of all biases towards others, and I simply just love them. I do this because I trust that God is God. I don’t need to tell my neighbor whom I don’t have a deep relationship with that they are in sin, because I trust that God will illuminate any wrongdoing in their life just as He does with me. He may use me to talk to my neighbor. He may not. But I trust that He is actively working to catch the hearts of all men.
Because I trust God, I don’t feel the need to scream about laws that go against what’s considered the “conservative worldview”. I trust that God is in control. We are to be in this world but not of it. We are not called to try to make the world resemble whatever we believe heaven looks like. There are plenty of things going on in the world that I don’t necessarily understand or agree with but regardless, I still love because I trust God.
We are to be in the world and to love our neighbors. God didn’t put any exceptions there. He didn’t say “love your neighbor if they’re Christian” or “love your neighbor unless you don’t agree with them”. No. He simply said love them as you love yourself. Now, for me, I love my neighbors the way that I’d want to be loved. I give my all to make others feel seen, heard, and respected. But I take issue with those who do the opposite in the name of Christ.
Over and over in the Bible, we read about not passing judgement on others or showing partiality. We read about checking our own hearts before we try to judge the hearts of others. We see God change lives and stop murderers in their tracks. We see God open the eyes of Saul and turn him into a great proclaimer of the faith. So why are Christians known for being judgmental? Why do people find it “refreshing” to be around a Christian that isn’t trying to tell them what they’re doing wrong, or how to change their lives? Why is it that Christians are starting to be known more for their division and anger than they are for their love?
I wish we could all just trust God. Trust Him to work in the hearts of man and trust Him to be in control. What if Ananias hadn’t welcomed Saul? What if Ananias hadn’t prayed for Saul? What if Ananias hadn’t placed his hands on Saul? Would you welcome Saul? Would you have touched Saul? How can you, when you keep all of those who do not live like you at a distance? I have people in my life from all different backgrounds, cultures, and religions. I talk openly about God with them. We have deep conversations about faith and these conversations challenge me to love harder and trust that God is using me to plant a seed. We must understand this: seeds are planted gently into welcoming soil. You cannot just throw seeds at hardened dirt and expect a healthy plant to flourish. We must be like the gardeners who take their time and deliberately plant their seeds with gentleness and love.
With all of that being said, the church must be called out for becoming an attacker of the least of these. The church is called to love and when it does anything contrary to that, we must boldly call out to the believers in order to keep others from being led astray. It is one thing to tell people who do not know Christ that they must be x,y, and z before coming to know Christ and another thing to correct those who use God’s name to spew evil and hatred. God is a God of balance. He is grace but He also has justified, righteous anger. Because of my love for Him, I love but I am also righteously angry when His name is used in vain.
So let’s love so that they may know Him. And let’s call out the false prophets and those who use the Lord’s name to try to spread evil. We must do both.