Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
But no hope at all hurts much less.
So I try not to be overly quick
To be vulnerable by being my best.
So I've spent all my life settling
For much less than what I want.
I get by here and there meddling,
Lucky to be an idiot savant.
I'm foolish because I dream too small.
God has always had more in mind.
For the first time I want it all,
My fears of pain I let unwind.
"Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." - Jesus
This is a verse I think a lot of us have heard. It's also one that is very easy to take completely out of context. Taken by itself it is easy to interpret the verse as an exhortation to obey every single letter of the law and have no inkling of any evil desire or proclivity toward any evil action. It is true that we should ignore no area of imperfection in our lives and strive to be and become the people God has called us to be; however, this verse isn't really about that. It's about something that, while smaller in scale, often seems to be extraordinarily difficult.
In the verses just preceding this, Jesus tells us something different than what the world around us tells us… love your enemies. Love those who have no love for you - for the very people who are injuring, abusing, persecuting, seeking to destroy you. Loving only those who love you back, or don't hate you, is something even the godless do regularly. Jesus' command to be perfect is part of this same thought, which is having truly unconditional love for everyone.
The implications of this for our lives are huge. We have all been hurt by people. We've been hurt by their judgmentalism. Many of us have been physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually, or sexually abused. The words and actions of others have twisted our self views and enchained our lives. People have attacked our beliefs. Islamic jihadists have taken down the world trade center and continue to attack and kill people we know overseas. We're called to love these people. Really love these people. Not just wish their best, but actually act toward them in a way that treats their lives as invaluable, indispensable, even when that means self-sacrifice. We make ourselves vulnerable with our love to potential hatred, mocking, even death. That's what Jesus did, that's what Jesus does. It's difficult beyond measure, but possible… and full of life.
4 comments:
"Islamic jihadists have taken down the world trade center and continue to attack and kill people we know overseas. We're called to love these people. Really love these people. Not just wish their best, but actually act toward them in a way that treats their lives as invaluable, indispensable, even when that means self-sacrifice."
if I'm reading you right, then this is the number one reason as to why I am so disillusioned with a lot of modern Christian thought and Christians themselves. Wishing jihadists their best? Treat them as if they are invaluable and indispensable? I honestly believe that this is madness. Sheer madness.
"Their best" for a terrorist is for them to continue living, day by day without encumbering circumstances, so that they may plot to kill innocent people and go ahead and do it. Terrorists are invaluable and indispensable... to each other and to their godless religion of death. Yes, I love Osama bin Laden in the sense that I'd love it if he became a Christian and forsook his murderous ways. But I also recognize that he needs to pay for the crimes that he has orchestrated. Love without justice is mockery and nothing more.
Well, you're reading more into what I'm saying than what I am, and it feels like presuming I mean things that I don't actually. It's probably unclear writing or brought about by its brevity. I'm not going to lie though, I am a little mad and I think the love of God is too.
I probably should have taken a few deep breaths before typing. I tend to have a very short fuse about things like terrorism et al and that probably colored my interpretation of what I was reading, and I sincerely apologize. So that we can set the record straight, what did you mean?
No need to apologize. There's always communication issues in blogs. The best for terrorists is that they might know the God of love and peace. Their best is that they would repent, turn to Jesus, experience the depth of his forgiveness and how much He loves them. God is just and will be just. But He loves sinners. He died that these men and women living a life of lies might be saved from their sins and freed to be in relationship with God. When I talk about their best, I mean God's best for them. Certainly this includes his justice, as it does for all of us. It also includes his ever-present offer of life to the full.
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