The sermon in church today was about love.
Mainly, to love those who don't love you.
To love those who do you wrong, and who do wrong to others.
Even to love those who do wrong in God's name.
It's so easy to say, "I will love my enemy," because really, who has done something so horrible to you that they aren't worth your love? But then we were given an example. There is a group called the Westboro Baptist Church (not to be associated with other Baptist churches) that protest military funerals among other things.
It's hard to love these people. It was making me sick while sitting in church this morning. There were veterans around me crying. And why wouldn't they? Pray for dead soliders? PRAY for more dead children?
"But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for He is kind to the ungrateful and the evil."
—Luke 6:27-35
—Luke 6:27-35
To drag unknowing children into their picketing of hate blows me away. I so badly want to tell them that God loves everyone. He doesn't punish us by blowing up space shuttles, by having hurricanes kill thousands of people, by war.
"Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins."
--1 Peter 4:8
I don't know what is worse- the acts they are doing (protesting military funerals?!), or that they actually believe they are working in God's name and believing their actions are true.
Pray for this church. Pray for me to love them. Pray for you to love them.
In happier news, it's Stephanie Nielson's 29th birthday and Christian (her husband) opened the comments on her blog. Go wish her the happiest of days. I can't think of someone who deserves it more.
sometimes I find it hard to love things like that as well. Last year at school a bunch of people from the community came to our campus with these kinds of signs and they gathered outside the library yelling at the students as they walked by.
ReplyDeleteIt was so hard for me to love them. The man knew nothing about me, didn't know my love for God, and he flat out told me that God didn't love me. It was unbelievable how they could even think so. A bunch of people were getting judged and all they were doing was walking to class.
But on a more positive note. God will not be silenced. And he will use things to his advantage. That day so many people were turned away from the church, and from God. But other christians gathered at the library and they talked to some of the people that were being persecuted telling them that God is a passionate, loving God. These people may not spreading the truth, but God is greater than their blindness.
"The more we obey God, the more we desire to help others. The more we help others, the more we love God and on and on. Conversely, the more we disobey God and the more selfish we are, the less love we feel."
ReplyDelete"Trying to find lasting love without obeying God is like trying to quench thirst by drinking from a empty cup--you can go through the motions, but the thirst remains. Similarly, trying to find love without helping and sacrificing for others is like trying to live without eating--it is against the laws of nature and cannot succeed. We cannot fake love. It must become part of us."
Love is powerful and I hope these people can feel its power because God is LOVE, and through him anything is possible. Sean Duke
I got this Quote from our churches magazine. Here's the link.
http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=bac0a7b37c11c010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1
This sickens me too. Praying for them, you, and me.
ReplyDeleteP.S. Congrats on the new camera.
This makes me nauseated. People can be so ignorant sometime. Bless those veterans' hearts. :(
ReplyDeleteOn a happier note, there is an award for you on my page!
xoxo