Yesterday, I attended a young couple’s wedding and watched as they entered the state of Holy Matrimony. During the service, there were the readings where one person read God made man, made them male and female.
Of course, there was the requisite reading of I Corinthians 13:1- 8:
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.
Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails.
As the reader read those words, I started to think of the situation we are experiencing in our country. The division, hatred, anger, frustration, betrayal, degradation of patriotic loyalty, and so on. Group against group. Ideology against ideology. Faith against faith against no faith. (I apologize for not paying attention to the ceremony for a short period of time.) We have hate groups promoting their agenda through violence, through anger, through intentional disturbance. One group censoring another because they don’t align with the beliefs of the group.
In 1 Corinthians, it speaks of the tongues of angels sounding like dissonant brass or crashing cymbals, the gift of prophecy and faith to move mountains as nothing without love.
So, I had to ask, what is love. I needed something tangible. The young couple was experiencing feelings of euphoria which are exciting, but fleeting.
God brought me back to two points.
First, He is love. He must be in the center for love to be shown in such times. Without Him, the kingdom of darkness can rule and we have the chaos and hatred we see today.
Second, love is a decision. God decided to love us despite what we have done. Jesus decided to come to the earth as flesh and blood. He decided to come as a child. He decided to heal the sick and mend the broken-hearted. He decided to die on the Cross. And He decided to rise from the dead so we might have eternal life.
It is easy to love when all is well, but can we love when we are in violent disagreement? If you come to me with angry words, temper flaring, clubs and sticks, shouting and screaming your demands, before I can even hear you, my defenses are up to protect me. You may have legitimate concerns and righteous grievances, but I can’t understand you because my walls are up. Ask any customer service agent who he or she can help the best: a customer who comes demanding and brow-beating the agent or one who comes willing to express a concern in a reasonable fashion?
In those times where anger and hatred is displayed, loving reactions are an offering. An offering to the other person, to hear them, to listen, to understand and then to come to a mutual agreement. I am not talking about syrupy-sweet, namby-pamby “oh, does someone need a hug” type of reaction, but one demonstrating self-control and rationality. One side cannot demand or dictate the outcome, but both sides must work together toward a common solution with God reigning in the center.
This message of God’s Love for us must get out to our dying country. There are hurting and anger-filled people that God loves. We are all special in His sight. I don’t care if you are black, white, yellow or green, male or female, conservative or liberal or moderate or far-left or far-right or far middle. God cares for each of us. Our financial offering today goes toward that mission of getting a message of unity through Christ to all groups. Give the offering in love so the person who opposes you in anger and hatred can see the love of God shine into his or her life.
#offeringthoughts
Copyright © 2017, David A. Zimmer, All Rights Reserved