What about love?

Indeed, in nothing is the power of the Dark Lord more clearly shown than in the estrangement that divides all those who still oppose him. -J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

We're broken. Our world is broken, our country, our churches and ourselves. We seem surprised every time something horrible happens when, in reality, there is nothing new under the sun. (Ecclesiastes 1:9) We live in a fallen world and nothing will be right until we are in heaven. What then do we do? How do we live in a culture that is putrid with poverty, sex trafficking, racism, violence, selfishness, and greed? Policies and programs won't fix it. Politicians generally don't care for anything beyond power and control. Celebrities revel in making random grand gestures but are rarely invested in neighborhoods or individuals. Twitter is used to spew vitriol and spread hatred. But what are we, as individuals, going to do to make this world somewhat livable until we leave it? As long as we are divided and tossing accusations and excuses across the sidewalks at one another, the enemy wins. We (Christians) are on the same side, right? We are called to “love God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength and our neighbor as ourselves.” (Luke 10:27) The Gospel is simple. We make it complicated with all our theologies, doctrines, and qualifiers. If we love God, we can't help but love others. It's a spiritual impossibility. We need to all just climb down from our soapboxes, quit posting and ranting, and just be a neighbor. Learn someone's name. Ask them their story. Spend time with people who may have a different perspective. Listen. We all have stuff that hurts, angers, and confuses us. Instead of postulating, maybe try questioning. It's difficult. It may be uncomfortable as we search our own souls for the sin of complacency. If it doesn't affect me, it must not exist. We shake our heads in dismay when we see stories of elder abuse, sexual exploitation, discrimination, sexism, and racism. We are sad but sadness isn't enough. We have to have compassion. Jesus had compassion when he looked out over the city of Jerusalem. His heart was broken. He didn't shake his head and turn away sadly. He boldly walked through the front door of oppression (physical and spiritual) and took action. He destroyed the power of the enemy and expects us to do likewise. It doesn't take much to look around and see the effects of sin. It surrounds us every day. If we ask God to open our eyes, we can't avoid brokenness. Look into the eyes of your cashier or server. Call them by name and ask them how they're doing. Make eye contact with strangers and smile, especially if their skin tone is different than yours. Give a dollar to a homeless person without worrying about how they will spend it. A few dollars won't change their life for good or evil but the fact that you see them and acknowledge their existence might. Please understand that I am not preaching. God usually speaks to my heart as I'm writing, revealing what is there.

When I drive through the neighborhood I work in, I see young black men hanging out. Occasionally one will come up to my car, gold teeth flashing and pants sagging. “Hey, Mrs. Trish!” I pull over to chat and ask how his life is going. I see the ankle bracelet but ignore it as I look into a beaming face and listen to a boyish voice telling me about his new job. I continue my drive and see a poorly clad prostitute, teeth rotted by meth, age indiscernible because of the lines on her face. I make eye contact and wave. She looks at me as if I'm crazy. God prompts me to wonder who she used to be. Someone's child, lost, alone, degraded and used. My heart breaks. I feel overwhelmed. What can I do? I turn the corner and I see a gang of kids riding bikes. White, brown, black. They haven't learned to see each other as someone to fear. They just want to play. The Bible tells us to become like little children. Kids don't see obstacles, only possibilities. They dream impossibly large dreams and have no doubt that they can achieve them. What if we just learned to love each other, to become friends, to dream big, and to make those dreams come true? Maybe then we could get a little glimpse of what heaven will be. What if we stopped listening to celebrities, politicians, and social media influencers? What if we made just a tiny difference in our small circle? What if we stood shoulder to shoulder instead of head to head. We're on the same side. The side of love.

When they have really learned to love their neighbors as themselves, they will be allowed to love themselves as their neighbors -C.S. Lewis The Screwtape Letters