The benefits of hate

"YOU CAN'T BE CATHOLIC AND PRO-ABORTION." The car with that bumper sticker raced past me. I was mildly disturbed about the randomly polarizing in-your-face approach to the topic. It seems it was intended to ramp up a person's blood pressure. Granted, most Catholics don't adhere to abortion, but who is this person to blast those who believe different than her.

As I thought about the statement, I thought of all the unkind words that have been spoken by people who call themselves Christians. Many unkind labels came to mind. It made me feel sad for all the hateful things that have been said in God's name.

There is a verse in the Bible that says "everyone will hate you because of your allegiance to me". (Luke 21:17). And Jesus, talking to his disciples, says it like that is a good thing. There are other verses as well that talk about the benefits of being hated for belief in God.

Maybe this polarizing speech could be considered in other ways. If being hated is desirable for a Christian, then maybe by stirring up a backlash from others, these Christians would be able to achieve "I'm hated because of you" status in God's eyes There might even be brownie points awarded. Maybe the bumper sticker is just an opportunity to get the hate flowing in their direction.

Or maybe these Christian insulters are trying to give others the opportunity they themselves desire. A chance to share the blessing with others. This is a chance for others to be hated as well. What's good for the goose might be good for the gander. If this hate is such a good thing, then maybe we should be spreading it around, to make all our gods happy (at least the ones who talk about being encouraged in the face of being hated for affiliation with them).

I think Jesus was most brutal to the religious leaders that condemned other people's sins and energetically pointed out other people's wrong beliefs, while ignoring their own. I think that Jesus was trying to warn of tough times ahead for certain beliefs, not to teach his followers how to inflame hate in others. We do such a good job of that on our own.

Here's an idea. Maybe these bumper sticker believers should put signs on their vehicles outlining their own sins and wrong beliefs. I don't know if that would invoke hate. Others might just drive by in disgust.

Does disgusting others count in the hate category? I don't know. I guess I'll have to keep searching my Bible for that one.

Hail

Hail rained down on our community several days before. It punched holes in our siding, and left divits in our cars. As the hail fell, all ran for cover. When it had passed by, everyone came out of their houses to survey the damage. Today on my walk I saw a number of dead animals that may have been killed in the torrent of ice balls. I'm sure many ran for cover. Some were not so lucky. What was alive and vibrant before, now lay there like litter strewn about.

We are all marching through life on our way to death. To feel better about our lives, we factor death out of our lives. We can acknowledge that we will die, but we don't believe it. Enjoying life is important. But it will end soon enough. We can't stop hail and we can't stop death.

Maybe that is what funerals are. Maybe it is a time when everyone comes out of their shelter and surveys the damage.

An angel among us

What or who are angels? We have seen mythical images of white robed, winged men or women. Their purpose is to give aid and protect. They are there to serve.

Angels don’t always come in shapes so otherworldly. Sometimes they are the people we bump up against in our daily life.

I must acknowledge one of those angels. I will not mention the angel’s name, because that person would be embarrassed to have it invoked. That is not why this person acts on our behalf. It is simply that this person is that giving. This person’s gifts to us has come at times of some of our deepest needs.

The gift may seem small and inconsequential to this person, but we have received it as a gift from the very hand of God. I know that may sound like a gross exaggeration of the magnitude of the gift, but what one does and what another receives may be wildly different. For example, a gift can be given sacrificially while the recipient may not understand or appreciate the cost. There is no way to measure the impact of gifts given.

So let me say to our angel, thank you for your giving heart. Thank you for your gifts. Most of all, thank you for your love. God bless you as you have blessed us.

God is listening

I am sitting in the hospital lobby waiting for my bride to get prepped for surgery. Five minutes ago, she was taken to the second floor and I was told to stay on the first. I wander around, lost in the waiting area until I find a secluded area to hide in. I wipe my tears. I don’t know if it is separation or anxiety from the looming trauma.

Next to me, a man dials a number on the lobby phone and starts updating someone’s medical condition. I don’t want to listen to his conversation. I put my headphones on, I load iTunes, I select shuffle, and choose the “inspirational” genre. The first selection that randomly plays is “God will listen to you” by Mark Heard. It is so powerful and moving. I wipe away more tears. This time it is gratitude. God is here and listening to me when I am tearful and afraid.

It is amazing how God communicates his love to me. I feel so undeserving, and yet I am so grateful for His affection toward me. This is such a simple gesture, but love is holding me. It is exactly what I need.

The attack

Yesterday I attacked me. Inside, an accusing voice took inventory of my life. It gave witness to what a loser I am. It examined how much I don’t matter and what I haven’t done with my life, resulting in me questioning the actual value of my existence. Indictments rained on me with “shock and awe”. I felt small and insignificant. I hadn’t made anything of myself. I hadn’t moved up the corporate ladder. I haven’t completed anything significant. What good is my life?

I don’t know if I’ve emerged yet. There were affirming moments yesterday. It doesn’t feel like they quite liberated me, but the hits aren’t reverberating as hard.

Considering the origins of the attack, I realized there was an event I felt prompted to attend on Tuesday night. I went with the implicit belief that if I was there, I may receive some enlightenment as to future direction for my life. I didn’t receive anything close to my expectation. I left the event feeling unsatisfied and let down. But what did I expect? I went to the meeting with unsubstantiated beliefs.

I was disappointed and I believe that triggered the attack the next day. When expectations were unmet, my mind stopped looking at my future and focused on parts of my past. Feeling trapped in my job and confused about what direction I move next, accusing voices in my mind cold-cocked me. As I reeled from the blow, accusations rained down on me like boxing gloves.

Sometimes getting perspective is hard work. Standing up to those voices feels daunting and intimidating. It is hard to call those voices liars when the world around affirms and supports them. It is hard to not call yourself a failure when your direction has little to do with ambition and a lot to do with vocation. It is hard to move away from what society affirms.

But it is my sincere belief that these voices are not telling me truth. I have no idea the impact I have had on this world (both positive and negative). Attempting to diminish the impact of my life regardless of my status in society is nothing short of wicked.

Voices, it is my turn to talk. SHUT THE HELL UP!