It wasn't until I sat in church this morning that I heard about the shooting but the impact of 50 (or more) dead at the hands of anyone will hit any person who is not entirely filled with hate in a significant way. So, as I sat there, I looked up information.
Even as of now, details are somewhat sparse. The FBI has said the gunman has been a "person of interest" for one or more incidents in the past, dating back to at least 2013. They said he "may have leanings" toward radical Islam.
I don't care.
Maybe it's the lack of details. Maybe it's just that the shock of such an incident hasn't worn off yet. Maybe my heart is in a different place because I was worshipping Jesus Christ when I found out. Whatever the reason, I don't care about the details. Right now, I care about two things.
First, this simply underscores what I've said for a long time: any Christian who wants to point the finger at radical Islam needs to take a long, hard look at the state of Christianity in general. No, I do not thing Christians are to blame for someone who claims to kill in the name of any religion. It all comes down to the individual heart. And that, right there, is the problem: the heart.
Christians have done a pretty good job over the last 10 to 20 years of truly returning to the idea of global missions. That's not just commendable; it's the Great Commission in action. Christ said, "therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations." We're doing that again. The truth is, it's always happened. But Christian churches, particularly in America, used up half a century spending way more time focusing inward than outward. We built an army of people with mission-minded hearts -- and then turned them in toward the people who were already in the church. That approach makes for fantastic cheerleaders. It does not do a good job of making new disciples.
And, so, when we had golden opportunities to share the news of the love of Christ in unbelievable numbers, we instead sent what essentially amounts to a handful of people. When billions have not yet heard of Jesus, that's ineffective at best, and sinful at worst.
We need -- need! -- to reach beyond. We need to stretch ourselves and our faith. Because the difference between love and hate is a fine line in the heart.
Second, I'm thankful I serve a God who loves me so much that he pursues me from the moment I am born to the moment I die, and gives me chance after chance after chance to get things right -- even though I will never get things right. I am a sinner, and so are you. Despite that, though, God loves me, and He loves you too.
Right now, the love of God needs to be reflected into this world a whole lot more than the hatred of man. And it's the sad reality that people of all walks of life will cast condemnation of the occupants of that nightclub because they are members of the LGBTQ community. I believe the Bible is clear on that subject, but I also believe Jesus' own words and actions are clear. I am a sinner, and He loves me. There is no ranking of sin; none is worse than another when viewed from an eternal perspective.
Regardless your personal feelings toward homosexuality, discriminating against them is no way to show them the love of Christ. Accepting them as they are -- just as Christ himself has done for anyone who has accepted Him as their savior -- is the only way. I know it sounds silly to hear it phrased this way, but it's an obvious truth when you hear it: you simply cannot show love by acting with hate.
Regardless your personal feelings toward homosexuality, discriminating against them is no way to show them the love of Christ. Accepting them as they are -- just as Christ himself has done for anyone who has accepted Him as their savior -- is the only way. I know it sounds silly to hear it phrased this way, but it's an obvious truth when you hear it: you simply cannot show love by acting with hate.
The bottom line is that Christians are not called to condemn. The Great Commission says, "go make disciples," not, "go and condemn sinners." We are called to be the hands and feet of a God who pulls out all the stops to show His love. For Christ was not sent to condemn the world, but to save it.
His message is clear, today and every day: Love matters. Showing His love to others is my job. I won't be discouraged by someone who shot up a nightclub full of people, whether he did it "in the name of Allah" or because he was just a deranged lunatic. Right now, love is all that matters.
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