Written by Kim Solis, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Mexico and Oregon.
If you were to take a poll on the streets of any city world-wide, asking the public what Christians are known for, what do you think they would say? Would we be known for pointing out the sin in the community around us? For taking a “holier-than-thou” attitude when talking about moral issues? Would we be known for adhering to beliefs of a particular political party or for fighting among ourselves about the “proper” interpretation of Scripture?
When my children were in grade school and middle school, the boys played on many soccer teams. At one game, while waiting for the excitement to begin, I was talking with another mom in the stands. The conversation swung around to what we do for a living and I explained to her that my husband and I are Christians and work for a Bible Institute helping to prepare people to be more active in their local congregations and even to go out as missionaries to plant churches in new cities. She was surprised and said, “Wow, I didn’t know you were Christians.”
The game started and I sat there with a lump in my throat and a weight on my chest. Why was she so surprised that we are Christians? What did she observe in our examples, especially mine, since she didn’t really know my husband very well, that never made her think that I held Christ and His teachings in high-esteem? I wrestled with this for months and finally got up the nerve to confront her feelings at another soccer game.
“How come you were surprised to hear that we are Christians?” I asked, fearing her response would shed light on un-Christlike attitudes or actions that I had inadvertently been showing to those around me. “Well,” she seemed to search for the right words, “it’s just that you are, well, you are both so... nice.” After talking a few more minutes I discovered that her previous experience with “Christians” had been very aggressive, rude and condescending. She had been told that her beliefs were not correct and that she was in sin. She had never been shown love and acceptance, only judgement and exclusion. I was relieved but also very concerned.
What did Jesus say to his disciples after assuming the role of servant and washing their feet in John chapter 13? “And by this everyone will know that you are my disciples...” By what? By your zeal for the truth? By your desire to confront the world of its sin? By your refusing to accept people who practice anything different from you? No. He says by loving one another. He just washed the feet of those who would betray him, deny him and leave him alone, nailed to a cross. He didn’t point His finger and condemn them, even though one of them would die at his own hand without repenting of his sin.
Love. Agape. We have heard the definition: a decision to love unconditionally, desiring and doing the best for someone regardless of whether they deserve it or not.
Does the world deserve our love? No. Do we deserve the love of God? No. That is what is so incredibly powerful in Jesus’ declaration. The world will know we are of Christ when we love one another because no one loves those who don’t think like them, who don’t act like them, who haven’t earned love in one way or another.
Jesus loved the woman about to be stoned because of her adultery. Jesus loved the tax collectors even though they were padding their pockets from the hard work of honest people. Jesus loved the men and women who spit upon him and screamed for his crucifixion. Jesus loved me and loved you even when we didn’t believe in Him and even when believing, we still fall into old habits and act as if we had never heard of His grace and mercy.
Come on, Christians. We must drop our shields of pride and “knowledge” and simply love one another with a pure and undiluted love that comes from Christ and not from our own hearts. Let’s leave the judging to Him and let us unite in love to show His love to those who need it most. Let’s love the homosexuals, the drunkards, the addicts, the liars, the lonely, and the desperate. We were one of them not too long ago. Pointing fingers and revealing sin will not attract more people to Christ. His merciful love and grace are what they need to hear... and to see.
Once someone falls in love with Christ, then they... then we... will be open to face our faults and correct our actions. We can’t do it on our own, anyway, we need Him to cleanse us.
To love God is to love others.
Mark 12:33
“And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
It doesn’t matter what you offer to God: your zeal, your faith, your purity and devotion. To love God and, therefore, to love your neighbor is worth even more.
Let the world know we are His disciples... by the love we show to one another.