Monday, January 23, 2012

What a mess...

So... I was tempted today to add to the mess of posts on someone's "MyFace" (as my hubby calls it) status. The gal who started the onslaught posted something about wanting people's thoughts on the 39 year "celebration" of the Roe vs. Wade decision legalizing abortion/women's "right to choose."

As I allowed myself to be pulled into the following mess of posts and judgment and opinions, I was so appalled that these people who claim to know Jesus - Who asks us to love others! - could so carelessly throw out their thoughts for the world - friends and otherwise - to see and feel judged by. This was what I almost posted, before my senses caught me and told me to not add to the mess of it all...

"I've just got to ask... wouldn't a more beneficial conversation be - How can we get ourselves out of our comfort zones, seek out women struggling with this decision, and LOVE them into making the "right" decision by pursuing relationship with them, and as a result introducing them to Jesus...? It's 'His loving kindness that brings us to repentance'... not His condemnation."

Why are "we" "Christians" so quick to hold the black or white standard up for everyone? What do we gain from drawing lines in the sand and declaring good and bad, right and wrong for the world? So we can judge them, making ourselves feel more righteous? Oh, of course not. "We" "Christians" don't judge. Right.

But seriously... Why do we think that by declaring how awful and terrible and sinful abortion is to the world that we are going to produce some measure of good? Do we really think that any good comes from picketing outside a clinic that allows abortions? If so, can you tell me what? Name one good thing that comes from that?

Guilt? Shame? Funny... last I checked, that's NOT how God relates to us. Why do we feel the need to relate to others in such a love-less way?

Why isn't our heart's desire to get to know the hearts of those that we're shunning?!

I know. It's too hard. Requires too much energy, time, effort, money. It's uncomfortable. It's messy.

Yeah... it IS messy. Then again, I seem to recall Jesus spending time with lepers and a lot of other people we would have considered "messy." Seems that most of the time He cared more about what was going on inside someone's heart than what was going on in their external world...

God, may we - myself included - have the courage to get a little messy for the sake of others' hearts and souls......

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