I have never felt like an expert on anything yet. I have knowledge in some areas, and a whole lot of useless knowledge that aids in my triumphal victories in pretend game shows and board games. It’s a curse to know so much about things that only happen on Wheel of Fortune, and other shows. I try to continue to learn, even though I am not in school anymore, because it is my opinion that we must never stop learning. When we stop learning, we stop growing.
This weekend I have been doing some thinking, and a lot of reading. I came to a conclusion about faith, the gospels and what it means to be a follower of Jesus. The whole gospel message is one of the simplicity of love. Yes, the sacrifice of Jesus and accepting Him as our Lord is paramount to our faith. Once we accept that grace, what do we do with it? We express the love we have received with love. Jesus taught us to love God and love others. It’s easy.
Or is it? Loving people is tough. There are always people who will rub us the wrong way, people who just don’t get it, and people who seem to be candidates every day for the Darwin Awards. As believers in Christ, we are called to be the ones who show love to those who have none, love to our enemies. We are called to do things that no one else is called to: be meek, love the unloved, be peacemakers, be comforters and strive for a righteous life.
Think about it. Jesus hung out with whores and traitors. He dined with sinners and lepers; people who were treated as if they were dead already. This is our calling: To love everyone, regardless of their past, lifestyle, hair color, music choice, any of that. It is not up to us to judge people, it is up to us to love them and trust God to work in their lives. We cannot force anyone to be saved, or choose for them how to live. We need to let God be God, and love our brothers and sisters. This is the simplicity of love.
