Love Wins

There is a guy who stands in front of one of our local middle schools wearing a sandwich board handing out tracts to students as they arrive for school. He's the kind of guy that is quick to tell kids that they are heading for hell if they do not repent. This is very confusing to my students. I have been asked several times recently, who is that "Jesus guy" and why is he doing what he is doing? They see him as mean, rude and condescending. They don't see much love.

While I appreciate the fact that he is concerned for the eternal destiny of middle schoolers, I wish he knew and understood the kind of damage he is doing. I wish he knew that the Good News that he is presenting doesn't sound very good. I wish he understood that by simply showing love to students, he would see far better results. When we show people the love of Christ, when we love people like He loves, we earn the right to be heard, and people respond.

Jesus told us to love Him and to love our neighbors as ourselves, and that there is no commandment greater (Mark 12:29-31). What we could accomplish if we would just show love. I like the words of G.K. Chesterton, "The Bible tells us to love our neighbors, and also to love our enemies; probably because they are generally the same people.” Let us not just love those we agree with, but let us love all. Jesus does not see good guys and bad guys. He sees a lot of bad guys, some have embraced Him, and others that have not.

May we learn what it really means to love as Jesus did. May we indeed be prepared to give an answer to those who want to know the reason for the hope we have (1 Peter 3:15) yet may we do so in love and not in anger.

I appreciate Rob Bell's video, "Bullhorn." Here is a clip.