Fear has been on
my mind a lot. In the past, I have been a person filled with fear and anxiety
and it’s a daily battle to fill myself with good thoughts and scripture in
order to navigate my day and near AND
far future planning. I have the capability to worry enough for all of us put
together.
As I watch the
news and read newsfeeds on social media, I’m realizing that fear must be
interwoven in a lot of what we think about and do. I prefer to assume fear over
apathy or indifference. I keep asking myself: As Christians, what are we afraid
of?
All through this, I
say WE. None of us are perfect, and we have prejudices that we struggle to work
through on a daily basis I think. When these things come to mind, I know they
are for ME and I share them for YOU who may be pondering the same things or
just need another perspective to add to your learning process.
We are stressed. We
are struggling to make sense of what we see on TV. I struggle most figuring out
how this relates to my faith. But, how much do I need to waste time on this? We
know how this story ends. We have a guide book. We’ve been given the gift of
grace – for ourselves and others. We aren’t responsible for another’s
salvation, that’s God’s job. We aren’t responsible for making all the big
decisions right now, or the ramifications of making the wrong ones. Don’t we
believe God is infinite, bigger? Don’t WE know this is no surprise to Him? If
we do, then why are we so worried? We choose fear over love. We choose not to
love and support others in the margins
because we don’t understand, we impose our rules and regulations, our bible
verses – what do we fear by listening? If we remember that ALL our God’s
children and He “has ALL this” under control, then why don’t we listen? Why do
we quickly post a verse that supports our “anti-whatever the issue of the
moment is?” Jesus was really simple and he often shocked the religious groups
with his simplicity and grace that summed up his ability to love – love your neighbor as yourself. Remember,
your neighbor is not necessarily the ones you like, or choose, or look like, or
agree with.
We don’t have to
change our religions. We don’t have to give up our rights. I think I’ve heard
people say “love’s the only house big enough for us all.” But are our rooms
reserved?
We’ll get some
extra immigrants of Muslim faith? So what? We have radicals of all religions.
We can’t forget the damage that we WASPS have done in this country and the
damage we have done in other countries too. I can love and I can help and show
God’s love and the way of Jesus. Judgement? Not my job. I would ask those who
have a lot to say or condemn the Muslims, have you met any? Do you KNOW any? All
the ones I know are just the same as me in terms of thoughts, feelings,
anti-radicalism, love – the only difference is when I turn right to go to my
church on Sunday, she may turn left and go to the mosque. Sure, there are differences
in the religion overall – BUT there are a lot of similarities in overall themes.
Noone is asking you to convert, and I would venture to say you probably wouldn’t
even get that invitation unsolicited (like we often do as Christians). You don’t
have to agree with their religious rules and regulations. But, I do dare to say
you have to be kind. I believe in kindness without condemnation. I think we all
strive for a better humankind.
Gay couples can now
marry. So what? Whether I agree or not, it doesn’t matter. If it’s wrong, then
that is God’s job to judge. Mine is to love, regardless. We can love without
agreeing. I cannot let my faith and my choices hinder another’s. With so many unknowns in this world, I
can’t take that responsibility on myself to limit another’s freedoms. Years
ago, my marriage was illegal. If I don’t “agree” with something or some issue
which there are several for me, I don’t have to engage or participate in that
“action” or whatever. Don’t worry, people will know how you feel and there’s a
way to respectfully discuss feelings and convictions. We can control what we do
in our homes, our family’s thoughts and feelings and actions, but we can’t
always speak for the nation as a whole.
We just don’t have
the foresight. We don’t know all the steps toward the end, but we do know the
end right? We’ve had a spoiler alert in the bible. I know I’m so busy “chasing
my lil red wagon that is constantly rolling down the hill” that I cannot monitor
someone else’s and still keep my life in order.
I hear Christians
post everywhere: “It’s the end times.” I’ve heard this for years after big
events, especially political ones in the Middle East. SO WHAT IF IT IS? Let’s
go home! Aren’t we living daily as if it is the end times? I want to love right
down to my death. I don’t have time to waste living in fear.
I saw Rachel Held
Evans speak this past weekend and one thing she talked about really hit home
with how I’m feeling with this topic. What if the church dies? It will be
rebirthed – we KNOW resurrection. She said “empires worry about death.
Resurrectionists don’t. God makes all
things new.” Maybe some of our religion has become an empire. We want power
– megachurches, say so in other’s rights because they need to align with our
scriptures, etc. Maybe Christianity should die to the old way and be made new –
maybe it will be a kingdom that belongs to all.
When we feel
threatened, I believe strongly that Jesus wants us to react with love, not
fear. Fear causes us to use racial slurs, religious slurs, and just expose what
we are struggling with inside. I’ve seen this too much lately and I just feel undone. I saw a picture on FaceBook that said “All
I need to know about Islam I learned on 911.” Now, this was shared on a
Christian’s page – same page that is usually decorated with bible verses. I was
so confused. Really, we didn’t learn anything about true Islam on 911. Yes,
there were some @#$%*&#s that forever changed our country on that day. They
were radical. We have radical Christians who murder in the name of Jesus. I’m
glad I’m not judged by that minority. Can we extend the same grace for other
religions? Because really, we are talking about things that we don’t know much
of the time. Our life and ministry on Earth is short – let’s not let media or
ignorant notions influence how we love people.
I also have seen
other pictures like the one that has a cat in a Chinese take-out bag that says “When
your Chinese food is undercooked.” Again, a Christian page usually filled with
bible verses. This one stung. This was unkind and really not funny to me. A portion
of my family is Asian. A similar slur was stated this week regarding North Koreans
by Mike Huckabee and 7000+ liked it. Seriously?
This is just the
tip of the iceberg when it comes to this whole idea. I’d rather die loving than
arguing my faith or breaking down another culture. If we are created in his
image as it explicitly states in the bible, do we get to determine which
ones of us are created in his image? We know that nonverbal language speaks
more loudly than verbal, it’s a small % of communication. By living it out as
an example, it speaks far more than posting statements or pictures that close
the conversation or choosing not to love because of a difference in
practice/faith/opinions/religion/etc.
Grace. I love that
concept. It’s easy (for many of us) to receive it but giving it is a whole
different ballgame, isn’t it? Another thing that Rachel Held Evans said that
really struck me was that we can be reckless with grace because “it got out of
hand when Jesus died on the cross and before he died he asked God to forgive
his captors.” I think we need to remember those words and that image when we
want to hold back, when we don’t think another or “group” deserves it. We didn’t
deserve it. It was a gift.
I write this not
as a shaming post but as a plea. I’m truly heartbroken. Slurs are hurtful to
me, who has friends of many cultures and religions. I love my faith and Jesus. Seeing
these posts have just deeply saddened me. We can do this, y’all. We can do it
better. We can disagree with grace. We have to think more before we click post,
share, upload. The world is watching us –
what will they say about Christians and our ability to love? This is our time.
fearlessly, stand up and choose love over fear – we know how the story ends!
Let’s live and
LOVE like we know and believe the rest the story!
Love,
Danielle
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