christians

It is Tuesday and I have been behind on the blogging so here it goes.

It is interesting in a half hour or so I have to give a devotion at our staff meeting. Which strikes me as funny. It is funny…my roommate and I had a great conversation the other day about what it is to really be a Christian. Which both of us are.

Is it going to a place where everyone is happy shiny? Or it is being real with each other and sharing our struggles and realizing that none of us have it together? Well obiviously it is the later.
This all came about due to the group that is here to protest at the funeral of soldiers, Fred Phelp's group from Westboro Baptist Church. If you aren’t familiar with why he is in town, you can read that story here.

How exciting for me as a Christian! To see those who call themselves Christian saying that God Hates America and He hates this and that.

Back to the my discussion with my roommie, we were talking about this because Fred’s group had a list of churches that he might visit and hers was on the list. They have some homosexual members and the church is very active socially.

My question is this? Would Jesus be out there with Fred Phelp’s telling people that God hated them? Yeah…let’s think about that. Uhm No. Christ came to show people God’s love, when asked what the greatest commandment was He said.
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. his is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.”

So my question is this…(yes another one) how can these people consider themselves followers of Christ. The same Christ who said that love your neighbor as yourself. Well those people must not love themselves very much now do they.

I guess my point is for me as a Christian…it isn’t about being happy or shiny and having nothing wrong. Nor is it telling others that God hates them and they are going to Hell for this or that.

For me is it learning to let go of my selfishness. Shane says that the number one reason that we sin is because we want to be our own ‘mini-gods’. Well it is true, it is that we want what we want or what WE think is best for us.

I digress…too many points at once is usually what happens here. So basically, I guess for me love people where they are…love them the way that Christ did…show them you are a real person share their struggles, share your struggles. That speaks volume.

I am curious to your thoughts...comments.