I don’t often write based on current events or the calendar, and I actually had something completely different planned for this week. But then I let God take over. This blog is not about me, but it’s about God. It’s not supposed to be my words conveying my message, but about what God wants to speak to you through me. I was jumbled when preparing this week’s post, but as soon as I asked God to take it and do what He wanted with it, the words started to flow. And it’s nothing new or revolutionary. It’s the basics of our faith. But sometimes it’s the basics that we need.
“Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked. You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.” Luke 6:35-36 NLT
This passage is often quoted but we don’t see it acted out as much as we should, do we? This is talking about being kind to those who are wicked (according to God’s standards). This is about showing love to those who continue to spit on the sacrifice Jesus made to save them. This is about the greatest love ever shown that we, as Christians, are supposed to be reflecting to the world in our own actions and deeds. No matter how nasty the unthankful and wicked respond, we’re to show them love.
Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Ephesians 4:2 NLT
When we moved to our neighborhood a few years ago, our license plates got a lot of attention. Not too often do you see Alaska plates in North Carolina. An older gentleman, who regularly takes walks down our street took notice and struck up a conversation with my husband and kiddos. Hunting, fishing, berry-picking, and processing of all of it came up in the conversation and a few others that followed. Not too long after, our neighbor from a street and cul-de-sac over dropped off some homemade fig jam. A year later, after exchanging fig jam and canned salmon, he brought by leftover Halloween candy for the kiddos. We’re neighbors and we treat each other with kindness.
Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. I Peter 4:8 NLT
He recently came by, staggering a little because he’s getting older and has been suffering from severe vertigo, and asked if we could help him change some lightbulbs. He wasn’t able to safely get on a ladder and all of his lights were out in his kitchen. His partner was still recovering from a back surgery and wasn’t able to either. His partner. Let me be clear, we knew he had a male partner before this encounter. We knew and yet we still loved. My husband and son went over and changed out the lightbulbs without stumbling over the fact that this neighbor’s very way of living goes against our faith.
Our neighbor knows we’re Christians. We have Christian signage on our door for every holiday and all the days in between. Pro-life and church stickers are on the vehicles and even the chalk art on the sidewalk and driveway are often Christ-centered (our daughters especially really like to tell people that God loves them in chalk art). We don’t agree with the lifestyle our neighbor lives, but we can still love him! Our actions speak louder than any bumper sticker, home signage or chalk art ever will.
The love that we show our neighbor is going to speak so much louder – to our kiddos and our neighbor – than any boycotting of stores, fast-food chains, or clothing lines. Am I going to spend my money in those stores? No. It’s easy enough to stay away from them. Is it difficult to keep track of all the stores that has differing political, social and religious views? Absolutely! But it shouldn’t be difficult for us to show the very basics of love to people no matter their sexual orientation, race, faith, or history.
A few months back, while shopping at Wal-Mart, the associate that came to help us was a black, biological male who wanted to look like – or be – a female. He had long, painted nails, long, thick eyelashes, and spoke with a feminine tone that even I don’t have as a female. After he did what he was hired to do (nothing extra, but that was ok), I smiled, thanked him and wished him a good day. I don’t agree with him, but I can still show love. We’re not the same race, but we’re both created in the image of God! Jesus died for us both!
I’m so thankful that Jesus didn’t look at His disciples with a disgusted look on His face the way we as Christians often look at the LGBTQ+ community. I’ll be completely honest: I struggle with keeping my face from betraying me when I see news reports of drag queens participating in story hour at the library or at our schools. I bet you have the same struggles, don’t you? I bet you would look at me differently if you were privy to my sins and the sins of my past. I’m completely convinced that your lip would curl up in disgust at least a little. What about your current and past struggles with the world? I’m so glad that Jesus looked at the world and, without His face betraying Him, decided we – even the LGBTQ+ community – were worth the cross.
It’s officially Pride Month. Am I part of the LGBTQ+ community? Absolutely not. Do I occasionally feel a bit defeated when the news so eagerly shouts out story after story of evil and hatred and perversions? Yes… I do sometimes struggle with feeling less than victorious. But then I recall that we’ve already won because the Spirit that’s in me is greater than the evil that’s in the world (I John 4:4). We’re not to deviate from loving our neighbors, even the lost ones, because our success – our victory – comes from God fighting for us and being with us wherever we might go (Joshua 1:7-9, Mark 12:30-31).
I may not be part of the LGBTQ+ community, and I have no desire to ever be included in their ranks. But I am celebrating Pride Month… Just a little differently.
I’m PROUD to be a child of God (Romans 8:14, John 1:12, Galatians 4:6-7). I’m PROUD to be His ambassador to the world (II Corinthians 5:20). I’m PROUD to share His message of love to the world through the way I live my life and the way I treat others (Matthew 5:16). I’m PROUD to have the rainbow as a symbol of God’s continuous love, grace and mercy (Genesis 9:12-17, Isaiah 54:9-10). I’m PROUD to identify and actually be one of the two genders that were created and blessed by God (Genesis 1:27). I’m PROUD to be so valuable to God that He saw fit to take my punishment on Himself (John 3:16, Romans 5:8).
When we start to see those who are not Christians just as loved by God as we are, that’s when we start to see the way God sees. I’m PROUD – not ashamed – of my faith. And I’ll share my faith to the best of my ability to all communities. Even if I don’t agree with you, I can – and will – love you.