Dear Zubeidat Tsarnaeva - a letter of Love.

Dear Zubeidat Tsarnaeva,

Recently a Judge Jeanine Pirro’s addressed your personally HERE.

Rather than address Judge Jeanine Pirro’s remarks directly - as I originally wanted to, I offer my own response to you.

I love you.

I don’t really know who you are.  Prior to the bombing, I had no idea that you even existed.  Now you are making headlines on a daily basis.  What I catch about you in the news is little and not enough to reveal who you are as a person.  Certainly I have seen clips and read statements recently made by you, but that is too little to make a judgment about a person.  Nor am I to make a judgment other than this: you have un-surpassable worth.

This doesn’t come from me, however, but from God; from Jesus.

Now, being a Christian, I understand that you and I differ on certain aspects regarding Jesus.  I’m not going to discuss those here.

Rather, I offer you the love and kindness that Jesus commands of his followers.

Sadly, this is not always as easy command to follow.  More often than not, we followers of Christ react as Judge Jeanine Pirro reacted.  I do it. We all do it.

But that doesn’t make it right – and in fact, it’s not if we are to take Jesus at his word.  Which I try to do as a follower of Him.

I understand the anger that is directed at your family, however, I cannot abide by it or condone it.

Jesus said to love our enemies.  This is non-negotiable.  He gave no exceptions.  Why?  Because in reality, no one is our “enemy.”  I cannot view you as an enemy, if I also view you as you really are: a child of God.

If God doesn’t see you as an enemy, than neither can I.

I cannot begin to imagine what those directly affected by the bombings in Boston are feeling or going through.  I won’t pretend to either.  Nor will I speak upon their behalf.

As well, I cannot begin to imagine what you are going through, experiencing or feeling.  I won’t pretend to.  Nor will I try to put words in your mouth.

I only offer you what I can: my love and prayers.

See, while there are times when I find it easier to hate people that harm and do me wrong, I know to do so is itself wrong, and against what Jesus taught.

And I either take Jesus as his word in EVERYTHING, or I don’t at all.  Picking and choosing is not an option.

Often hate and anger is the easier route – and for the moment it feels right and justified.  But it’s not.  It never is.

Love is.

As followers of Christ we are commanded to do that, in all cases, at all times, to all people – no exceptions.

We are to love, because he first loved us and because He loves you.   And if you are worthy of Jesus’ love, who am I to believe that my love is too great for you?

And while what your sons have allegedly done is an act of evil, to make the judgment OF your sons that they too are evil, is not for us to make.

Only God alone can and will judge.

For us to judge and make judgments is to put ourselves above God.  Something, I’m sure you would agree, we should not do.

I know little of your sons, but they too are offered my love and prayers.  Yes, if found to have perpetrated the bombing, your surviving son should be held responsible and accept what consequences there are to follow.

But that doesn’t mean he can’t or shouldn’t be loved.

We must not forget we live in a fallen world.

You, I, all of us created this world and do so on a daily basis.

Your sons may have carried out the act of the bombing, but we are all responsible for creating the atmosphere in which it was allowed to happen. We do this when we choose hate over love, even in small ways.  Such as Judge Jeanine Pirro’s video.

Sadly it sometimes takes these bigger tragedies to see that we are still in error and are still fallen…but we ALL are fallen.  All of us are sinners and fall short of the Glory of God.

None of us are free from judgment outside the grace of God that has been given to us.

I’m no better than your sons, or you, or anyone.  We do not posses the correct eyes, knowledge, and wisdom to determine who is “better” or “worse” or “deserving.”  That is left for God and God alone.

When we start to believe we can determine value and worth, we will find any number of reasons to take it away.

While I understand the want and desire of Judge Jeanine Pirro to make the statements she did.  It’s statements such as she made that contribute the fallen nature of the world.  Her anger and (dare I say) hate that she put forth is NOT what the world needs.

She may not care what the world thinks of America, but she should care about the world.  She should want to foster love and kindness and true justice (not just seeking punishment for wrongful actions).  But the words she used do just the opposite.

No, neither Boston, nor the world, needed what she said.  Though I completely understand why she said what she did.  She’s not evil for doing it, just human and fallen like we all are.

But anger doesn’t build, doesn’t heal, doesn’t create; it only destroys and hurts.

What does do all of that and more is love.

And I don’t write this from some high and lofty, self-righteous position.  I am as guilty as anyone of fostering more anger than love at times.  I may not have murdered anyone physically, but I have – as Jesus has said – murdered people in my heart.  I may not have placed bombs of steel and metal, but I have placed bombs of anger and hate and hurt.  And to this day, I don’t always love as I should.  Sadly, never on this earth will I do so either.

But I can, we can, always love MORE. And choose love more often.

And it is at times exactly like these we see today that we need to choose love.

Perhaps we don’t choose to love as often as we should because we believe it to be weak, or a sign of weakness.  But that is not true.

Love takes a strength that far surpasses what anger requires.  As it is far easier to destroy, than to build.

Anger is easy and fruitless.

Love is at times tough, but fruitful.

And despite what you have said, may say, or will say, that is exactly what I offer you: love.  And pray for you too, to find the peace and love that Jesus offers all of us.  God has placed a value on you that no one can take away and if I am a true follower of Jesus I know this to be true and honor it.

With Peace and Love,

Chris

“So they were offended at Him.” Matthew 13:57

(the following was an essay written for entry into a contest from a Christian publisher...I didn't win, but still thought I'd share it!)

“So they were offended at Him.” Matthew 13:57 NKJV

It’s almost sad there aren’t more verses like this found in the New Testament.  So blatant and in our face that we can’t ignore it.  They were offended at Him – at Jesus!  This was his hometown, he grew up here, they knew him…and yet, they were offended.

            Why?

            More importantly, how could anyone have found Jesus offensive?

            It’s hard for us to imagine today, but it certainly was the case then.  Of all the things Jesus was, we often forget – or maybe we didn’t know – but he was also offensive.  Very offensive.  So offensive – he was put to death.

            The Gospels are full of Jesus being offensive – yet, we don’t always see it.

            Perhaps it was this offensiveness alone that grabbed the attention of the religious elite and powerful of that day.  After all, if Jesus were just another “nice guy” saying “nice things” though oddly equating himself with God, why bother with him?  He might have attracted a small following, but like those before him He would most likely have faded away after some point; perhaps when a new, nicer, flashier “prophet” came along.

            But not Jesus.

            Jesus sustained.

Jesus got people’s attention. Jesus got everyone’s attention.  Sure he brought a message of hope, reconciliation, restoration, rest, peace, a new kingdom, any and all the Christian buzzwords we use when it comes to Christ, but he also came with a message truly offensive, if not the most offensive: his message of love.

            It’s easy to think of Jesus loving us, and he does to be sure, but Jesus’ love knows no bound.  Jesus loved the unlovable, the undeserving, the “other people.”  The Pharisees and Sadducees of his day were not just upset at some “rules” that Jesus was breaking, but they were offended at who he was loving – after all, they figured, if he truly was the son of God, THEY would be the loved ones, not the sinners and reprobates that Jesus was hanging out with and choosing to be his disciples.

            And in a way, if we are honest with ourselves, don’t we have a list of who Jesus would or wouldn’t love?

            Are we not, at times – more often than we would admit – offended by whom Jesus loves?

            The rapist? The murderer? The child molester?  Are they too far fallen for Jesus to love?

            No one can be too far from his love.  His love knows no bounds and never runs out.

            And it’s this love that we are called to and called to share.  Oh how great it is to receive it.  But they how can we be so selfish not to give it?

            We act as if this love will run out; it won’t.  If we run out of love, all we need to do is go back to the source: Jesus.

            So why are we so reluctant to love like him?

            Jesus tells us exactly why: we will lose our life if we do.

            We will lose friends, family, status, respect, comfort, and more if we love like Him.  We too, will offend.  For a servant is no greater than his master.  If Jesus offended, how much will we offend?  How much will we suffer for this offense?

            And we will suffer for this offense, do not doubt.  There will be pain, Jesus promises us this – for he knows how the world reacts to this love – but this isn’t a pain we should run from…but to!

            For how else will we know where we lack in love if we are not caused pain by it?  If I find myself offended at someone else’s love, then I become aware of where I lack.  And for this I should be thankful as I have been shown where I can grow.

            But let’s not be confused and set out to offend.

            Love does no such thing.

            The mere act of loving as he loves alone will cause offense.  No further action from us is needed.  No marching, no protesting, no slandering, mocking, or cherry picking of scripture.

            Just simple, unbounded, unleashed love.

            Let us remember the three love commands Jesus gave us: God, our neighbor, and our enemy.

            No one is excluded from this list.

            No one.

            And that’s what is truly offensive about it.

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A New Reformation? We can hope!

No pithy post here, but a link: Join the Revolution!

Sandy Hook Nightmare - Do you see Jesus?

I don't really have a lot to offer that hasn't been brought up countless times already from everywhere about the events that took place at Sandy Hook.

But I can't help but ask: Do you see Jesus?

When you look at the kids, no doubt you see him - how couldn't you.

But that's not where I'm asking you to look.

Look Here:

Look at Adam Lanza...the man (yes at 20 years old you are a man, no longer a boy at least) that shot at and killed 20 kids at Sandy Hook Elementary.

I'm sure right off you want to say "no." You might say you see "evil" or "the devil" but you don't see Jesus.  I want to say those as well at times.

But I want you to look deeper, beyond Adam...I can't say (nor will I) that Jesus wasn't "in" Adam that day.  But I do know this: Jesus was with him.

Jesus was right there, heart breaking, pouring out his love upon Adam as he unleashed an almost unspeakable horror. Jesus is always there.

Problem was, maybe, no one else was standing there with Jesus. (but that's a different post)

Jesus is with us, all of us, even when - or especially when - we fall, fail, and falter.  No, most of us won't fall to the degree that Adam did, but that doesn't make us better than him or him worse than us.

Yes, grief for the loss of the children.

But let's not forsake the grief at the loss of Adam - he too a child of God. In this case, yes still a child as we all are.

And yes, I am not forgetful of the fact that I personally am not effected by this and what I say may not come so easily were that a different story.

But we must remember who Jesus loves...all of us.

I don't recall there being exemptions.

Are you willing to assign exemptions to that love?

I'm not.

Jesus loves the lost as much as the found...and, at least at one time - if not again at some other point - weren't we all lost before we were found?

So look at the picture of Adam, of the man who shot and killed 20 children not even a week ago...

Do you see Jesus?

We can't all play the same position.

As much as I would love to be able to: I can't save the world.

Heck, I can't even save everyone in my state, city, neighborhood, block...I have to remind myself of this when I am frustrated at times at the feeling that I don't "do enough" for the world.

But I need to cut myself some slack.  First of all, none of us will ever "do enough" and that is just a plain fact Jack.  Second, we are not called as followers of Christ to do it "all".  We are called corporately to love.  Personally, what God calls us to do.

Many times I second guess what God calls me to do.  Simply because it doesn't seem "enough."  Shouldn't God be calling me to something greater? Bigger? More challenging? More life changing?

It seems to happen to some people, why not me?

Well, who's to say he hasn't?  In my hustle and bustle to "do more" I may have missed a calling.  Certainly I have ignored some as well.  However, that doesn't mean God stops calling us, using us.  But we have to remember, He's God, we're not - he knows what he's doing and he will use us in the best way, if we let him.  Nor can we do it all.

I played 3rd base during my "career" in baseball.  Yes, I played other positions as well, by my primary position was 3rd.  During a game, while a player can play multiple positions, a player can't play them all or even more than one at the same time.  Hard to play 3rd and catcher at the same time.  Or more obvious, pitcher/catcher.

We are placed in a position to play THAT position.  Maybe for just an inning, maybe the entire game.  But when we are placed in that position, that is all we are meant to do.  It would be silly for me at 3rd to feel bad that I wasn't pitching, or playing 1st...I'm playing 3rd, and while at 3rd I will play my best. And when the 1st baseman makes a fantastic diving catch for the last out, I will be happy that they did! Rather than guilty or envious.

Because in reality, we are all in this together like a baseball team. Yeah, the stakes are higher and we make far more errors than are counted, but if we accept our current position we are playing then we allow ourselves to 1) play our position better and to the fullest, 2) are joyful when others play their position and are successful!

I'm not a preacher standing before millions of people (perhaps we should all be thankful for that).  I'm just a guy, ordinary fella', but for today and until otherwise notified it is my position.  Now, I could be resentful that I'm not playing another more 'important' position - however, who's to say my position isn't important at all?  What if, in my position I influence and inspire the next Billy Graham? (that would be cool!)

I can only see the now today, this game....tomorrow is another day/game.  I can only play one game at a time, one position at a time.  Some days I'll play like an all-star, other days I should be benched.  But there's another game, God willing, tomorrow.

I can't do it all, I'm not God (again something we should be thankful for).  I can't play every position at the same time - and I won't get the chance to play every position anyway so I might as well enjoy playing my position and play it to the best, and enjoy when others play theirs (like Billy) well.

Love - You can't give what you ain't got.

Listening to a Greg Boyd sermon yesterday (or the day before) Greg said, "you can't give what you ain't got!"

And it struck me in several ways.

This is true to two levels: material and spiritual.

Materially, I think, is quite self explanatory.  If I don't have a dollar, I can't give a dollar. If I don't have a coat, I can't give a coat...etc.

However, spiritually, this isn't so obvious - or at least, I don't know that we act as such.  That is: we still try to give what we don't have AND we can hide the fact that we don't have it as well.

I may SAY that I have love in my heart for my fellow man, or my enemy - however, what I have is anger, or apathy or hate.  I can put a smile on my face, act nice, do all the "loving" things that I should do - but I'm not really giving love am I?

To truly GIVE love, we must HAVE love.  Which type of love?  Well, the love Jesus shows us, and expects from us.

Unfortunately, w(m)e don't always possess this love.  For many reasons: fallen world, sin, etc...you know the list.

Yet, we still try to "give" this love or make it seem that we do.  However, in reality, we know we are going through the motions.  We give to a charity for helping the homeless ("love") yet we turn around and chide and make disparaging comments about a man holding a sign on the street begging for spare change.

We say we love our enemy, yet speak ill about them with like minded company...

(this was especially true during this past election - how many people said something not so nice about Republicans/Democrats?)

Love is a funny thing because it isn't just a "feeling" it's a FORCE - we can feel it.  Deep down we know this to be true.

How often have we heard or said, "I could just FEEL the love."

Yes we FEEL love, but that isn't the best word to describe our interaction with it - we EXPERIENCE love.

People can FEEL love behind an act, just like you can hear a smile over the radio/phone.  You know it's there.

But if it isn't there...

So where do we get love?  Where does love come from that we can HAVE it and SHARE it?

Sadly, we can't just create love.  It doesn't work that way.  WE - you and I - cannot make love "out of nothing at all" as the song goes.

Only God can.

Only through Jesus can we GET love.  Get the love that we need to have and to share.  And thankfully Jesus has an endless supply so we can love freely and with wild reckless abandon!!

And that is EXACTLY what we are to do!

We are to give love FREELY and WITHOUT hesitation or restriction - and why not?  We can always get more from the source!  We will never run out because HE will never run out.

Yet we don't love that way - not always.  I certainly don't - though more and more I try to, and do, but if I am honest, I will never be perfect at it as HE is perfect at it.

But that shouldn't stop us, that should SPUR us!

On the days we have abundant love - give it away as if there is no tomorrow (for there might not be).  And when have little to no love?  Turn to the one that ALWAYS DOES.

Love can do miraculous things, but it needs to be shared, given, shown, etc.  and if we don't have it within us - we certainly cannot give it, share it, show it...

Don't have love for your enemy (or just for today)?

Jesus does and he will be more than happy to give you that love as well...

But there is a catch (isn't there always?):  we have to ask for it, and more importantly we must truly WANT it.

Jesus will not force love upon us - love doesn't act that way.  While it is a FORCE it is NOT FORCED.

We must truly want it and want to give it, share it, and show it.

Then we will see miracles happen.

Black Friday - The most selfish day of the year!

Hey, I like a great bargain just like the next guy - maybe even more so.  My two favorite words are: Free and cheap.

The clothing label I always buy: Clearance.

However, today - the deal day of deal days - is quite a different bird than being thrifty.

Let's be honest, it's about STUFF -  not the just the deals.

I have even seen some reports that say that quite a bit of the shopping done on Black Friday is not even related to Christmas - that is, while we might pick up some gifts, the majority of the deals/gifts are bought for ourselves.

And in that regard I'm guilty as charged as well.

But in the end, regardless, the day itself is a testament to our Western (material) culture.  People wait in lines, HOURS BEFORE stores open - to such a point that stores this year opened a day early!  Why not?  The shoppers would already be there, why not let them in and get their money sooner!

I'm not saying we shouldn't participate - though, it might not be a bad idea: Buy Nothing Day

I know the stores NEED this day, but is that really a good thing?  A perhaps that's a question for a different day.

Instead, what I'm offering, challenging, is simply this:  after all this shopping (regardless if it's for gifts or ourselves) let's not forget about those who are REALLY in need.

While we stand in line to get a great deal on a TV (that we really don't need), let us not neglect those who have no line to stand in for even fresh water.

No, I'm not trying to go the guilt route here (though if you do feel guilty, perhaps you should do some self-reflection as to why) but just to keep our minds in check.  Most, if not all, of what we buy today is NOT a necessity to us.

A great way to help is through World Vision.

They got lots of cool gifts you can buy that will actually help someone, in many ways.

Peace and Love

Chris