All of us have some morons in our life (and consequently are morons in somebody else's life. A sobering thought). I am thinking of one right now. I am genuinely struggling to like, not to mention love, that person every time she comes to mind. This person is disturbingly sure that she is right and that she makes a lot of sense every time she opens her mouth. However, the very opposite is true. She is living in an alternate universe where nonsense makes sense and good sense is bad sense. It is a truly amazing thing to behold...that it is possible to be that frustrating and wrong all the time and not know it.
We all have people like that. They just rub us the wrong way. Big time.
If you go to church you will also find people like that. As I've said before, some people in the church just need to be kicked out since all they do is ruin it with their bluster and fluster and heretical teachings, leading people down to Hell. Or some other horrible thing. There are plenty of people in the church who rub you the wrong way, although many work hard at putting on a pleasant facade so it looks better. Don't we all?
So how do we love annoying people? How do we love those with whom we must vehemently disagree? How do we love those who lead people to Hell, as Jesus talked about? How do we love those who not only disagree with us but trample holy things and people under their feet? How do we love Trump or Pelosi? How do we love Catholic child abusers? How do we love heretics who preach "peace, peace" where and when there is no peace? How do we love those who demean female pastors or are the perpetrators in the #metoo movement?
In short, how do we love people we'd rather hate or hit or hide or harm?
I wonder how Jesus did it.
No, Jesus didn't run around with a big grin on his face and share pithy Hallmark sayings or Twitter-worthy quotes. He wasn't only stern with the strict and legalistic Pharisees/Conservatives. Jesus got angry and annoyed with "salt of the earth" people. He called people "idiots", "fools" and , my favorite, "children of snakes/Satan". Doesn't sound pleasant and cheery, does it?
But since he was God he also loved everybody all the time. Did he want to? Probably not, but He was faithful in doing His Father's will and that included loving people of all kinds, even annoying idiots.
So he loved them in spite or their stupidity. Lucky me.
I think it has to do with the kind of love he was/is/had. The Greek had four words for love back in those days. Eros. Philo. Storge. Agape.
The writers of the Bible used the word "agape" for the love Jesus had/was/is. It is a very special kind of love. In fact, you can't love like that by yourself. Humans don't possess that kind of love. We know how to love erotically, friendship love and philanthropy love. We don't know how to love agape-y. We simply can't...and that is the only love that can love morons.
So we are out of luck, stuck with a love that is just like everybody else's. We love those who love us or who are lovable, even though we know that Jesus said that we should do more. Even "sinners" love those who love them back. Who are lovable. What's the big deal about that, He wondered?
Christians are supposed to love the morons. The idiots. The Trumps and Pelosis. The Frp and the SD. The heretics and the heathens. The annoying and the know-it-alls. The bland and the door mats. The liars and the cheaters.
How?
I think it has something to do with the fact the Scripture tells us that we can get some of God's love if we ask for it. If we repent from our own silly ways. If we seek after it. If we dare to accept and receive it. If we want its fire burning us clean.
I know what that is like because I've lived it. But I also know what it is like not to have it (and try to produce it on my own). The latter works poorly.
This "third way" thing my recent blog posts have mentioned is about this. Seeking the Holiness and the Love of God to find a third way out of the current theological and Biblical trench war.
Jesus managed to show us that even morons and traitors and quitters and heretics can be loved...by His love. A love that unlike all other loves creates worth in the other.
I'd like to get it on that again.
We all have people like that. They just rub us the wrong way. Big time.
If you go to church you will also find people like that. As I've said before, some people in the church just need to be kicked out since all they do is ruin it with their bluster and fluster and heretical teachings, leading people down to Hell. Or some other horrible thing. There are plenty of people in the church who rub you the wrong way, although many work hard at putting on a pleasant facade so it looks better. Don't we all?
So how do we love annoying people? How do we love those with whom we must vehemently disagree? How do we love those who lead people to Hell, as Jesus talked about? How do we love those who not only disagree with us but trample holy things and people under their feet? How do we love Trump or Pelosi? How do we love Catholic child abusers? How do we love heretics who preach "peace, peace" where and when there is no peace? How do we love those who demean female pastors or are the perpetrators in the #metoo movement?
In short, how do we love people we'd rather hate or hit or hide or harm?
I wonder how Jesus did it.
No, Jesus didn't run around with a big grin on his face and share pithy Hallmark sayings or Twitter-worthy quotes. He wasn't only stern with the strict and legalistic Pharisees/Conservatives. Jesus got angry and annoyed with "salt of the earth" people. He called people "idiots", "fools" and , my favorite, "children of snakes/Satan". Doesn't sound pleasant and cheery, does it?
But since he was God he also loved everybody all the time. Did he want to? Probably not, but He was faithful in doing His Father's will and that included loving people of all kinds, even annoying idiots.
So he loved them in spite or their stupidity. Lucky me.
I think it has to do with the kind of love he was/is/had. The Greek had four words for love back in those days. Eros. Philo. Storge. Agape.The writers of the Bible used the word "agape" for the love Jesus had/was/is. It is a very special kind of love. In fact, you can't love like that by yourself. Humans don't possess that kind of love. We know how to love erotically, friendship love and philanthropy love. We don't know how to love agape-y. We simply can't...and that is the only love that can love morons.
So we are out of luck, stuck with a love that is just like everybody else's. We love those who love us or who are lovable, even though we know that Jesus said that we should do more. Even "sinners" love those who love them back. Who are lovable. What's the big deal about that, He wondered?
Christians are supposed to love the morons. The idiots. The Trumps and Pelosis. The Frp and the SD. The heretics and the heathens. The annoying and the know-it-alls. The bland and the door mats. The liars and the cheaters.
How?
I think it has something to do with the fact the Scripture tells us that we can get some of God's love if we ask for it. If we repent from our own silly ways. If we seek after it. If we dare to accept and receive it. If we want its fire burning us clean.
I know what that is like because I've lived it. But I also know what it is like not to have it (and try to produce it on my own). The latter works poorly.
This "third way" thing my recent blog posts have mentioned is about this. Seeking the Holiness and the Love of God to find a third way out of the current theological and Biblical trench war.
Jesus managed to show us that even morons and traitors and quitters and heretics can be loved...by His love. A love that unlike all other loves creates worth in the other.
I'd like to get it on that again.
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