Sunday, August 29, 2004
Speaking of love, this quote from this UsaToday.com article is not an example of it:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/nation/president/2004-08-29-convention-protests_x.htm?csp=24&RM_Exclude=Juno
"I hope this shows the world that they're not alone in their hatred of George Bush," [referring to the large protest in Manhattan today]
I honestly don't know what to say in response to that. Displeasure? Ok. Disgust? Ok. Hatred?? What does hatred have to do with a march organized by a group called United for Justice and Peace? To be fair, this quote is from a single participant, but it makes me wonder:
Have we come (or returned?) to the point where hatred is an acceptable motivation for action? I want nothing to do with a world whose purpose is to hate an individual or a group of people. Perhaps it is only to be expected that this would happen. As a people, we have given some sort of general approval to the hating of villains such as Osama bin Ladin. Thus, if one sees our president as a villain, then perhaps it is only natural to hate him too.
I have a hard question: Can we love the villains of the world, whomever we may think they are? Can we pray for them? If they came to us hungry or thirsty, would we feed them or give them something to drink? If they were sick, would we nurse them back to health? If they were without clothing or shelter, would we supply those to them? Or would we turn a cold shoulder to them, or heap ridicule on them — "Ahh, they are only getting what they deserve!" Would we beat them, or hurl insults at them?
Should we look for the day when Jesus comes to us and ridicules us, crushing us with his scepter, cursing us with diseases and afflictions, saying, "This is what you deserve. In fact, you deserve even more than all this. You stabbed me in the back, you desecrated my Name, you harmed those who loved me, you loved yourself more than me, though I created you and gave you life. You did all these things and more, though I loved you with a love that reaches beyond the farthest galaxy, though I called you to share in my life, even eternal life."
The debt that the greatest villains the world has ever seen owe to us is nothing compared to the debt we owe to our Lord. Let us not be like the servant who, though forgiven much, refused to forgive even little.
The choice is yours.
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http://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/nation/president/2004-08-29-convention-protests_x.htm?csp=24&RM_Exclude=Juno
"I hope this shows the world that they're not alone in their hatred of George Bush," [referring to the large protest in Manhattan today]
I honestly don't know what to say in response to that. Displeasure? Ok. Disgust? Ok. Hatred?? What does hatred have to do with a march organized by a group called United for Justice and Peace? To be fair, this quote is from a single participant, but it makes me wonder:
Have we come (or returned?) to the point where hatred is an acceptable motivation for action? I want nothing to do with a world whose purpose is to hate an individual or a group of people. Perhaps it is only to be expected that this would happen. As a people, we have given some sort of general approval to the hating of villains such as Osama bin Ladin. Thus, if one sees our president as a villain, then perhaps it is only natural to hate him too.
I have a hard question: Can we love the villains of the world, whomever we may think they are? Can we pray for them? If they came to us hungry or thirsty, would we feed them or give them something to drink? If they were sick, would we nurse them back to health? If they were without clothing or shelter, would we supply those to them? Or would we turn a cold shoulder to them, or heap ridicule on them — "Ahh, they are only getting what they deserve!" Would we beat them, or hurl insults at them?
Should we look for the day when Jesus comes to us and ridicules us, crushing us with his scepter, cursing us with diseases and afflictions, saying, "This is what you deserve. In fact, you deserve even more than all this. You stabbed me in the back, you desecrated my Name, you harmed those who loved me, you loved yourself more than me, though I created you and gave you life. You did all these things and more, though I loved you with a love that reaches beyond the farthest galaxy, though I called you to share in my life, even eternal life."
The debt that the greatest villains the world has ever seen owe to us is nothing compared to the debt we owe to our Lord. Let us not be like the servant who, though forgiven much, refused to forgive even little.
The choice is yours.
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