I am struggling with this right now. I cannot see how anyone can look at the gospel of Jesus Christ and justify excluding certain groups of people based on their humanity. I am really struggling right now. I didnt know just how angry I really was until last night, as I processed on my drive home and my drive to sanctuary, this sick.. stomach anger swelled up in me and overtook my very physical being. I am so angry right now with the church... with christian leaders that choose to exclude... with people who say they are about the "ministry" of Jesus Christ, but rationalize their judgement and ignorance with selected readings of scripture. I cannot imagine a world where the message of christianity would be a message of exclusion, judgement and behavior modification.
I am not an angry person. I do not get angry often, quickly or over silly things. In fact, for the most part people typically call me "non-confrontational." But this has really pissed me off. This has made me confrontational. I am not so much mad at specific people... but upset with the fact that there are so many people that will be marginalized and judged based on rationalizations of the gospel. My heart is burning with honest sadness for those that I see will be left out, and told that their pursuit of healthy spirituality is not valid by men that have no idea what it is like to walk in the shoes of the very people they exclude.
As I sat with a friend last night and talked about what I was feeling, she told me that there is a reason. That this issue will be the issue that defines our time right now. And that God is stirring me and putting an immense passion in me right now that can only be preparing me for His use. I am trying to have compassion. To view the "other side" of the argument with understanding and grace, but as I sit right now, that is extremely hard.
Christ came so that none would be left in the dark. Christ died so that all could have ownership in the Kingdom of God. Christ rose to commission us into being disciples of his love and grace and hope. Christ has asked us to extend His hands of caring... His eyes of understanding... His legs of mercy and His heart of LOVE. Love never excludes... never.
I am not sure yet what to do with this anger. I am not sure how to express it or how to use it for productive means. I am praying. I am praying hard that there is clarity in the path in front of me. This passion is for a reason and I am here, in this unique time and space... for a reason.
If you are reading these words... please pray with me. Please take up the cross of love... unconditional love... and carry it to those that are marginalized and outcast. Love extravagantly with me and help to paint a new vision of faith. A faith that includes... a faith that hopes... and a faith that loves. Without that.. we only have ignorance... and ignorance breeds fear... and fear breeds hate... and hate leads to things that are much worse than the darkest places of a persons heart.
1 Corinthians 13:12-13 (msg)
" 12We don't yet see things clearly. We're squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won't be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We'll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!
13But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love."
10.18.2007
Anger... So Much Anger
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5 comments:
I was thinking about last night and came to the conclusion that we need to start a Christian version of Fight Club. Maybe the Chula Vista/El Cajon area?
Just remember that you can't change the world. Just as those that you are angry with were not put on this earth to judge others, we were not put on this earth to judge them. They will believe how they choose to believe and you may not be able to change that. All you can do is pray for them and try to show them a different way of thinking through positive actions and love. Anger will only hurt you and allow Satan to eat away at your heart. Put yourself, and those you defend, above all of that and victory will follow. Anger rarely causes good results.
Personally, I think this passion (albeit in the form of anger) is awesome. Yay you :-)
I think you can change the world. All it takes is one person, one idea, one thought, one revolution. For with the Spirit of God you can do anything.
This has been the greatest personal struggle of mine. I was raised in a Christian household but didn't become a Christian till around high school, attending a Christian high school was a huge catalyst in my converstion. And the school was so bigoted. Against everything, anything that didn't move or breathe like they did. And I couldn't understand how this God of such love could be so limiting. When I made it out into the real world I realized it wasn't just my school and now I was a heretic. Loving homosexuals? I have gay friends and they're amazing people, how can it be wrong to love a child of God? It's always been such a struggle to come to terms with everything in my head. They live a sinful lifestyle, but I live a life of sin.
I love when Jesus says to cast the first stone if you are without sin. How can we condemn people for anything? I will never cast a stone for I will always be with sin while I'm on this earth.
We want so much to focus on other people's wrongs, if only to make outselves feel better and that's not love. I still havent managed to come to grips in my heart with the two waging sides of me. I have such a heart for people persecuted by the Chruch that that is why finding Missiongathering was so amazing for me.
I think that Love is God and God is the greatest thing there is, because He Is. I think we should just love and love and love until we feel like we can't love anymore and then keep loving. We shouldn't be spreading the message that some groups of people aren't worthy of God's grace, that some people are inherently sinners and doomed. Love has never let me down and never can because it's so pure. So I figure if all I have to give in life is love, if all I have to change the world with is love, than I'm going to give love and I'm going to change the world with love.
You're in my prayers, it's nice to know that I'm not the only one who struggles on this issue.
p.s. I was saddened to hear that you guys aren't playing this weekend because a friend of mine is coming down to visit for my birthday and I've been raving about Missiongathering and the band there. But it's all in God's hands and God's plan.
p.p.s. sorry I wrote so much.
Love in Christ,
Danielle
i, too, am pissed off at "the church" for "their" stance on homosexuality! yesterday morning when Rich described the meeting of "holy high-fivers", i felt overwhelmed that christian leaders in our hard-nosed, conservative city are STILL so full of ignorance and hatred towards homosexuals! what will it take to change that? i don't know.
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