I haven't been on here in some time, but it is interesting that my page has been viewed approximately two times every day this past week. I have no idea who my secret viewer is, but my stat counter has caught them on Firefox on a Windows operating system. This definitely narrows it down... not.
Anyway, today has been a long adventurous day. The past week has been somewhat grueling. The past month has been encouraging. The past year (well, ten months) has been a learning curve and one of the best and worst times of my life.
I will start with today. In the days to come, I hope to pick up writing again. I have said that same thing before, but there is so much that I need to write down so that I do not forget from this past year. Thus, I hope to expand on the past month and year in future posts.
As for today, we (MC, KR, & I) ventured back to our college stomping grounds to visit our "old" church there and attend a fish fry at one of our favorite places. On the drive to church I skillfully avoided placing a tire on the back of five different box turtles who had ventured out onto the road. Then we arrived at church. It was a nice service and as always I enjoyed the conversation in life group, and just as always that conversation started the gears and wheels of my mind turning. The question was posed, "What is their motivation?" This question was asked in reference to a group of individuals who proclaim Christ, but do not show His love in a way that is expected. Instead they inform others of their paths to Hell and are very legalistic and pushy. It seems that recently many of these types of groups have been highlighted in some way or another. For example there are the Christian concert protesters who proclaim listening to AC-DC is better than attending a Skillet concert, Westboro Baptist, those groups who stand on a corner screaming and yelling with signs about sin and such. It is something that digs into my heart and hurts so badly. I hurt for these people. I hurt for the hate that they hold inside. I hurt because hate controls them. What pushed them to this point? What led them down this path? Why would they have a 7-8 year old recite hatred over and over again through a megaphone to concert goers? I witnessed this concert debacle and wondered how they could have this child do this. I watched a mother cover her child's ears and said, "Don't listen to this. He doesn't know what he is saying, and I don't want it in your head either. Just ignore him and the people yelling back. We need to show them love, not hate. We need to set the example Jesus would have set." I loved listening to that mother. I even spoke with her for a bit. I wonder too why these individuals believe their way is the right way. Do they really feel that they are following the example of Christ? Do they truly believe that what they are doing is the right thing? Are they simply ignorant of what I believe to be the truth? *Sigh* Such tough thoughts. As I listened to the attempts to answer the question, "What is their motivation?" today, I wondered if maybe their motivation was exactly my motivation. The motivation to bring people to Christ, but I must say that the path these groups would take and mine look very, very different. I, however, still wonder if their motivation might just be that. Could it be? I do not wish to start a debate, and I ask that you not comment in hate. If they truly believe they are right, then that could very well be their motivation. I am reminded of a time not many years ago when segregation was rampant and people were killed because many individuals were of the mindset that whites and African Americans should not mix. What was the motivation then? I doubt the motivation was simply to hate, but that they believed one group to be better than another. Eventually, many realized, after too many lives were lost, that we are all simply people and we may have different backgrounds, but those differences make us more valuable to one another... not less. Now, I am not blind to the fact that racism still exists today, but this is not my point or drive of writing this. It wasn't too long ago that so many were ignorant and exhibited so much hate. We needed to show each other love then, just as we need to show each other love now. It must start somewhere, and I know that the time is now.
Anyway, today has been a long adventurous day. The past week has been somewhat grueling. The past month has been encouraging. The past year (well, ten months) has been a learning curve and one of the best and worst times of my life.
I will start with today. In the days to come, I hope to pick up writing again. I have said that same thing before, but there is so much that I need to write down so that I do not forget from this past year. Thus, I hope to expand on the past month and year in future posts.
As for today, we (MC, KR, & I) ventured back to our college stomping grounds to visit our "old" church there and attend a fish fry at one of our favorite places. On the drive to church I skillfully avoided placing a tire on the back of five different box turtles who had ventured out onto the road. Then we arrived at church. It was a nice service and as always I enjoyed the conversation in life group, and just as always that conversation started the gears and wheels of my mind turning. The question was posed, "What is their motivation?" This question was asked in reference to a group of individuals who proclaim Christ, but do not show His love in a way that is expected. Instead they inform others of their paths to Hell and are very legalistic and pushy. It seems that recently many of these types of groups have been highlighted in some way or another. For example there are the Christian concert protesters who proclaim listening to AC-DC is better than attending a Skillet concert, Westboro Baptist, those groups who stand on a corner screaming and yelling with signs about sin and such. It is something that digs into my heart and hurts so badly. I hurt for these people. I hurt for the hate that they hold inside. I hurt because hate controls them. What pushed them to this point? What led them down this path? Why would they have a 7-8 year old recite hatred over and over again through a megaphone to concert goers? I witnessed this concert debacle and wondered how they could have this child do this. I watched a mother cover her child's ears and said, "Don't listen to this. He doesn't know what he is saying, and I don't want it in your head either. Just ignore him and the people yelling back. We need to show them love, not hate. We need to set the example Jesus would have set." I loved listening to that mother. I even spoke with her for a bit. I wonder too why these individuals believe their way is the right way. Do they really feel that they are following the example of Christ? Do they truly believe that what they are doing is the right thing? Are they simply ignorant of what I believe to be the truth? *Sigh* Such tough thoughts. As I listened to the attempts to answer the question, "What is their motivation?" today, I wondered if maybe their motivation was exactly my motivation. The motivation to bring people to Christ, but I must say that the path these groups would take and mine look very, very different. I, however, still wonder if their motivation might just be that. Could it be? I do not wish to start a debate, and I ask that you not comment in hate. If they truly believe they are right, then that could very well be their motivation. I am reminded of a time not many years ago when segregation was rampant and people were killed because many individuals were of the mindset that whites and African Americans should not mix. What was the motivation then? I doubt the motivation was simply to hate, but that they believed one group to be better than another. Eventually, many realized, after too many lives were lost, that we are all simply people and we may have different backgrounds, but those differences make us more valuable to one another... not less. Now, I am not blind to the fact that racism still exists today, but this is not my point or drive of writing this. It wasn't too long ago that so many were ignorant and exhibited so much hate. We needed to show each other love then, just as we need to show each other love now. It must start somewhere, and I know that the time is now.
