The Out-Cries

Well, I'm kind of bummed.  

While people are going off the walls in response to the fear of fall-out from America's President-Elect, one of my favorite fan groups on social media is being shut down Sunday night. And many are furious, frustrated and equally bummed. One administrator for the group. She's managed it for 6 years, by herself. And during this emotionally charged week of politics, people couldn't follow two-simple guidelines. I understand where people would find it challenging, since the page was about what many consider the greatest political television drama ever and one of the "rules" was no comments about real-world politics or politicians, but still... two-guidelines.

As if there wasn't enough material this week, to provide insight into how the church engages community and now this, "sadness".

You know who else had two-simple guidelines? Jesus Christ.

Boiling down the Ten Commandments to two, incredibly simple concepts.

Love God... with all heart, soul, mind and strength.
Love your neighbor as yourself.

There isn't a problem here... it's how Christ would have us to live.

Thus, the challenge is the interaction with those who don't love God, because they don't know God. They don't know how to properly love their neighbor, because they, perhaps, don't know how to properly love themselves. Furthermore, they don't know their worth, as they are valued and loved by God.

They may know they have worth or believe they are worthy and good, but short of being reconciled to God through salvation in Jesus Christ, what exists to support that worth and goodness? I hope that doesn't sound... I'm not even sure; I do know my Bible says that only God is good, so one must conclude that either man thinks he is god, based on his goodness without God or we recognize that in light of God, we fail to even come close to making a comparison.

"All have fallen short of His glory" comes to mind.

So, yes, I'm sad about the fan page closing.
Yes, I'm sad about how people have responded to the election.
But most importantly, I'm sad about how people respond to God, and to Christians who genuinely desire to see people come to Christ; but insist on wanting nothing to do with Him because they perceive Christians as less like Christ than their understanding would lead them to believe.

Indeed, the church has some work ahead. And only by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Pray, this #communitySaturday, that God would heal our land. The conversations are hard and filled with emotion and tension, fear, wrong-perceptions and misunderstandings. Pray the church would seek His face and trust in Him. May God help us to speak the truth in love, even when it's difficult to receive and to hear. Pray God would bring understanding and revelation to peoples hearts and minds. May many come to a place of recognition that are value and worth are found in right-relationship with all-sovereign God. Pray the church would be able to step outside themselves and love like Christ, not as the world thinks they understand Christ, but as we follow Christ and have experienced His love in our own lives. Pray God move and intervene on the hearts and lives of us all; for those whose faith needs to be fortified, for those whose faith in God needs to be established.

Truly, the church can not do this by earthly power.
We need the Hand of God.
A sovereign move of His Spirit
To accomplish the miraculous that many know we need.
For His Glory
For the cause of Jesus Christ.

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