My eyes are glazed and my ears are shut lately, that's because I can't seem to think about anything except "Theology."
Today I went to my car to go to Pasadena. I was going to sit in my car and read for an hour before I left.
When I sat down, I looked across from me and this beautiful, happy girl got into her car. She didn't know I saw her, I guess... She started bawling. Broken. Hidden. Who knows? Anyone? Who shows her the Love she needs?
Then it made me think more about what's been on my mind, that Christianity is all about Jesus. Could that be the wrong focus if we still fail to see what Jesus was, why he was, how he was, who he was, what he did?
"Theologians" spend their lives debating things, like grace and righteousness, which are important, but not as important as we make them. Why is it important?
God IS LOVE, and ONLY LOVE, because everything else that He IS comes FROM LOVE.
What it all comes down to, then, is ONLY twofold: loving Christ, because He loves us, and showing other people Love- all other good things will come through acts of love. Not some people, not just Christians-Everyone. (For example, if there was a debate about whether people are saved by their "own will" or by God's will or by a combination of the two, I think scripture teaches us, Paul in particular, to not boast about anything. Even a decision to take up our cross. So aside from not boasting, it doesn't matter who's will saves us- we still need Jesus, we still need to spread his message of Love, and that's what it comes down to any way you look at it. As for an issue like (double or single, if there is any real difference) predestination? Does it matter? I don't think it matters to us. Either way, we don't know who is predestined for what, and therefore our purpose is the same: Evangelize through love.)
What does Love look like?
What theologian only writes about how to Love?
We are so far from Christianity should be, if we only argue about the meaning of mere words.
One thing I've been thinking about is to start what I am thinking about calling "Campaign for Brokenness" and God moved my hand to jot more ideas about it today... I'm sure He did.
How do I employ the vision when I'm so busy...?
How can I neglect school, my friends, my family, my coworkers, my church, or YOU to preach about Love, when any sort of neglect would seem like the opposite of love.
I just don't know what it all looks like...
Love...?
Two people were sitting on the street in Pasadena today. Maybe they are 17, 18, or 19? They were a couple, apparently. Dirty. Their whole life apparently in the bag next to them. Their sickly kitten in their arms and a hat in from of them with a dollar, a quarter, two dimes, three pennies, and 5 nickels. The man had his ears gauged so big that an empty green prescription bottle fit inside the hole comfortably.
Genuine poverty? Drug addicts? Kicked out of the house? Does it matter? What does love look like in a situation like this?
What is my inherent responsibility, as a follower of Jesus, as I walk by?
Or take APU, thousands of Christian people, many of whom are relatively wealthy. Some grew up in broken homes, some didn't, some didn't realize how broken their home had been until recently...
They, we, are on our own for the first time in our lives.
They, we, question our identity, we think about the future, we contemplate marriage and life beyond our degrees.
They, we, become overwhelmed.
And in the midst of it all, things break us.
People die.
People leave.
People just don't care. Nothing seems to be fulfilling.
So, like the girl I saw, they fix their makeup every 30 minutes, sing during worship, and smile all the way to their car. Only to expose every drop of moisture contained in them, through their eyes, the second they are "alone."
So how do they show love to those people in Pasadena?
When no one, aside from God, has shown them love and given them an example?
So that's where it has to start...
With Christians first so that WE as a BODY can LOVE.
Instead of just preaching God to people who are broken... They might not be ready for God yet... They are ready Love, and through Love God will be revealed to them.
And to give them we have to have,
And to give God we have to FIRST give Love.
God is Just, God is Understanding, God is Loving. Let's not forget to be also.
