In response to a question that came up in Bible study this morning, I wanted to share this with you. The question was "How would you respond to the Westboro Baptist thing in Newtown?" I gave a brief answer but mentioned that I would share what a colleague of mine penned because I thought is was just that good. Here it is. The Author is Pastor Dominic Rivkin (That's his face on the left)
I just don't get this Westboro Baptist Church thing, yet here I am writing about them...again. How a small group of people can grab hold of one issue and allow hatred and anger to define their life is beyond my understanding. The Topeka Kansas based group has been around for quite awhile, believing it's their unique mission to attribute every incident in our country to immediate punishment from God for our "acceptance" of homosexuality. Picketing occassions of grief with their hateful signs, these false prophets of doom have completely missed the point. Most offensive to me is that Westboro gloats in their self-reported statistics, indicating they spend upwards of $250,000 per year to...and I sadly quote..."spread God's hate."
To my non-Chrisitan friends...please see these people for what they are, troubled souls who are misguided and misled not by faith but by their own sin. In fact, they're not unlike a deluded young man who takes out his own internal angst on innocent childern and teachers in a school. Sin has so taken hold of their hearts that they feel justified in their angry actions and use them as cover for their own brokenness. Sad thing is, we're all guilty of this same sin...whether we believe or not...when we choose to take out our aggression in shameful, angry ways on those with whom we disagree.
I am certain of this, faith cannot truly exist in a heart that hates. It is a heart that doesn't really know forgiveness and therefore cannot forgive. It is a heart that doesn't really know love, and therefore is incapable of love. The power of true Christianity is to give honest voice to our own brokenness first, finding that the generous love of Jesus frees us from being owned by our deepest, darkest, and most selfish secrets. To proclaim faith in Jesus while spewing hatred for those He sacrificed Himself to save is not Christian. Rather, to live generously as one who has received such powerful love changes our lives, our families, our communities and has the power to change our world!
"For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." 2 Peter 1:5-8
I pray today for the members of Westboro Baptist. I pray for all who harbor such hatred and anger in their hearts that they might receive the true Word of God, forgiveness and love in Jesus once and for all sacrifice. I pray for the hurting families in Newtown and our desperately hurting country, that we may see our need for living in the love beyond all measure and the peace that passes all understanding. I pray for a revival of the true Spirit of Christmas, the love of God in Jesus Christ, His promise to be with us always. It's in Jesus' precious name I pray. Amen!
Read Psalm 93, Isaiah 9:2-7, 2 Peter 1:12-21, Luke 22:54-69. Peace!
I just don't get this Westboro Baptist Church thing, yet here I am writing about them...again. How a small group of people can grab hold of one issue and allow hatred and anger to define their life is beyond my understanding. The Topeka Kansas based group has been around for quite awhile, believing it's their unique mission to attribute every incident in our country to immediate punishment from God for our "acceptance" of homosexuality. Picketing occassions of grief with their hateful signs, these false prophets of doom have completely missed the point. Most offensive to me is that Westboro gloats in their self-reported statistics, indicating they spend upwards of $250,000 per year to...and I sadly quote..."spread God's hate."
To my non-Chrisitan friends...please see these people for what they are, troubled souls who are misguided and misled not by faith but by their own sin. In fact, they're not unlike a deluded young man who takes out his own internal angst on innocent childern and teachers in a school. Sin has so taken hold of their hearts that they feel justified in their angry actions and use them as cover for their own brokenness. Sad thing is, we're all guilty of this same sin...whether we believe or not...when we choose to take out our aggression in shameful, angry ways on those with whom we disagree.
I am certain of this, faith cannot truly exist in a heart that hates. It is a heart that doesn't really know forgiveness and therefore cannot forgive. It is a heart that doesn't really know love, and therefore is incapable of love. The power of true Christianity is to give honest voice to our own brokenness first, finding that the generous love of Jesus frees us from being owned by our deepest, darkest, and most selfish secrets. To proclaim faith in Jesus while spewing hatred for those He sacrificed Himself to save is not Christian. Rather, to live generously as one who has received such powerful love changes our lives, our families, our communities and has the power to change our world!
"For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." 2 Peter 1:5-8
I pray today for the members of Westboro Baptist. I pray for all who harbor such hatred and anger in their hearts that they might receive the true Word of God, forgiveness and love in Jesus once and for all sacrifice. I pray for the hurting families in Newtown and our desperately hurting country, that we may see our need for living in the love beyond all measure and the peace that passes all understanding. I pray for a revival of the true Spirit of Christmas, the love of God in Jesus Christ, His promise to be with us always. It's in Jesus' precious name I pray. Amen!
Read Psalm 93, Isaiah 9:2-7, 2 Peter 1:12-21, Luke 22:54-69. Peace!