"Love Sleeping Comfortably with Convictions"

I stumbled upon this old blog by the same title. It's by Steve Brown, a self-professing "old white guy" with tons of interesting insight on faith and freedom. I've thought about these words in the context of the recent attention the owner of Chic Fil a has gotten for expressing his views on same-sex marriage and have wondered how I might learn to express my convictions while demonstrating the type of love we are called to as Christians. I hope it speaks to you as it continues to speak to me.

"We just don't agree on much anymore. The fragmentation of America (and the world)-where we once shared a common understanding of politics, religion and culture-has become the norm. Frankly, I hate it. It's really bad!

No, actually, it's really good. Do you know why? It gives us an opportunity to shine with a powerful witness of convictions and love. There is nothing more unusual and powerful in our time than that. And with all the humility I can muster, despite all the hassle and difficulty, that was the witness Shane and I...made at Malone University.

There are some specifics about love sleeping comfortably with convictions…

First, love and convictions can't go together without repentance [emphasis mine]. What the prophetess said to the king in 2 Kings 22:18-19 is a major theme in Scripture: "Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Regarding the words that you have heard, because your heart was penitent, and you humbled yourself before the Lord…I have heard you." The Psalmist said that God was close to those with a broken heart of repentance (Psalm 34). Jesus said that the kingdom of God was present when he came and that the appropriate response was repentance (Matthew 3:2). Jesus also said that he had come to call sinners (that would be us) to repentance, not the righteous (Mathew 9:13). It's everywhere in Scripture.

Jack Miller said that the only people in the Body of Christ who have anything to say are those who are repentant and the most repentant people in the church should be its leaders. Repentance is an attitude more than an act-an attitude of recognition that God is God, he is always right in his judgments, and we are subject to that judgment throughout our lives. It's hard to have that attitude, know who you are and who he is, and pull a trigger on someone who is different than you. It's an attitude that one can be wrong as well as sinful.

Second, one can't put love and convictions together in the face of differences unless one recognizes that Jesus has made some weird choices in those he has chosen to love…and we are among the weirder. Paul said to Timothy (1 Timothy 1:15): "The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost." Our message is not a political or a cultural one. Our message is always that of a sinful, needy and forgiven sinner telling other sinful and needy people that Jesus saves, loves and forgives sinners of whom we are the foremost. That's the main thing and everything thing else is secondary.

Finally, love and convictions rest comfortably together when one is free to speak one's truth. That freedom comes with repentance before God and love from God. Our fear keeps us from speaking our truth because we want to be acceptable, valued and affirmed. If you seek that from people, you'll be a weenie, agree with everything people in power say, and cave in the face of differences. We dare not get that from anybody but Jesus. Jesus accepts me and whether or not you accept me is of very little importance. When he bought me with his blood, Jesus placed a very high value on me and that value is all that counts whether or not you value me. Jesus likes me big and affirms me whether or not you affirm me.

When I remember that-and I do sometimes - I'm dangerous. When I forget it - and I do sometimes - my convictions don't get spoken, I become an "echo" of the tastes and convictions of others, and Jesus blushes."

Is My Faith Foolishness?

I love it when folks keep it real. That's why I love Paul's thought in 1 Corinthians 15:19. "If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied." This man who traveled the world and suffered much to share the gospel (by definition good news) was responding to those who said there's nothing beyond this life and contested that Jesus actually rose from the dead. His response was, if this good news of Christ's death and resurrection is only beneficial for me in this life, I'm a fool and not only that, all who claim faith in Christ are fools.

Somehow I'm comforted by this. At times I've wondered if what I believe is foolish but usually not too long after I'm reminded why I believe. I can't quite describe it but there's a peace in the deepest part of me that confirms that there's truth in what happened 2,000 years ago on a cross in Jerusalem. And in what early Christians claimed happened three days later in the resurrection of Christ. My soul and heart find peace because I'm a beneficiary of his act on the cross. That's why Christians celebrate Easter. Why they reflect and look back - because they are grateful for what Christ, the divine, did for them the unworthy sinner on the cross.