Chasing After Me

(If you missed the post earlier this week about our culture’s need for community, click here)

Follow me here…

If God = Love, and if Jesus = God, then following Jesus = Following Love

Right?

And love, by definition, is FOR someone else.

Ekklesia, the Greek word for The Church (as referenced in the New Testament of the Bible), means the assembly of the called (those who have responded to the call of God’s immense, all-encompassing, unbelievable, overwhelming, grace-filled, forgiveness-filled love…not a technical definition, but my interpretation of the love from God I’ve felt in my own life).

Shouldn’t, then, that assembly of those following Love Himself be filled with love for one another? No matter who they are? Without judgment? We read in the book of John that Jesus came to love the world, not judge it. And, if we – the assembly of the called, also known as the church – love others as Christ has loved us, then shouldn’t we have created a gathering of people filled with love for each other? A place of transparency and acceptance? A gathering of people that people long to be a part of? Instead of a gathering of people that others work hard to avoid for fear of being ostracized?

Church has become something we do, a place we go, a notch in our pride belts…instead of who we are. We talk about church more in terms of how it fits into our lives and how great we think it makes us, instead of an environment of unconditional love.

Theologian Andrew Kirk says it beautifully: What the New Testament means by the Church is not an institution which owns property, performs rites and organizes meetings, or even one that plans strategies to evangelize unreached people. Rather, it is a group of ordinary people who, because they are experiencing the immense grace of a compassionate God, are learning how to overcome hostility between people, forgive and trust one another, share what they have and encourage one another in wholesome and joyous relationships.

If love is our mission, than community follows. We can’t have one without the other.

As Christians, our unity comes from that big, sappy, mushy gift of unconditional love that we’ve all chosen to accept. It’s grace.

Our unity does not come from how we do church, or what we look like.

Grace, Himself, is our great uniter.

Who cares if people worship God differently? Who cares if we all have questions about God? Why do we argue about sin if God only sees His children as He sees his own perfect son (Jesus)? Who cares what gender, ethnicity, culture, or lifestyle brings to the table.

God is bigger than all of that. And if God = love, then love is bigger than all of that, too.

And, the moment we think we have God figured out…turned into a process, program, or a textbook…is the moment we need to realize we’ve missed the enormity of His being…we’ve missed the point.

Can’t we embrace our differences and all chase after love together? Realizing that we all bring something valuable and beautiful to the table?

God is love. God loves us. As followers of Jesus, we have chosen to accept God’s love for us. God’s love is so big that it cannot be contained in one human body.

Love overflows.

Love gives.

Love is about relationships, not rules.

Love creates community.

The church should not be an inwardly-focused exclusive club.

The church (followers of Christ, Himself) should be home to a giant party, a party where everyone is invited, a party where everyone feels loved, a party that deepens relationships and friendships, a party where people realize that the one thing that unites is bigger than all of the things that make us different.

Americans are hungry for real relationships and we, the church, should be standing at the ready, without judgment, to be curious and compassionate reminders of the bigness of Love, himself.

The church can and should be heaven on earth.

Sometimes I have crappy days…crappy weeks, even.

Sometimes I get really crabby for no particular reason.

Sometimes some, choice, four-letter-words slip out.

Sometimes money is tight.

Sometimes precious relationships in my life are strained.

Sometimes stress weighs on me.

Sometimes I slam doors shut and yell because I’m angry.

Sometimes I feel weak.

Sometimes I feel confused.

Sometimes I have no confidence.

Sometimes I feel lonely.

Sometimes I feel discouraged.

Sometimes the world disappoints me.

Sometimes I wonder where God is.

Crap goes down in my life. Sometimes it’s significant. Sometimes it’s petty.

It’s easy to get caught up in the bad stuff.

But I choose hope. And I have to remind myself of hope every, single day…because hope is intangible.

Hope is believing what I can’t see. Hope is trusting in goodness and peace.

Hope produces smiles when the heaviness of situations feels unbearable.

Hope finds positives in the ugliest of situations.

Hope convinces me that God turns crap into fertilizer where beautiful things can grow.

Hope removes fear because it reminds me that I have absolutely nothing to lose.

Hope reminds me that someone exists who is bigger and more powerful than me.

Hope inspires me so that I can inspire others.

There’s a lot of power in those four letters.

Those four letters anchor my soul.

My dear friend Missy Durant is an amazing woman. Her life is overflowing with love and gratitude…and it spreads to everyone she knows. She wrote a book recently, What Matters, and I couldn’t be more excited for her.

I believe in what she’s doing with all of my heart…because it’s beautiful…because I cherish her and her heart.

So, today, I blogged on her web site…take a peek here!

I believe that big rewards come from big risks. And just this week, it finally got through my dense brain, that even bigger rewards come from big trust.

For me, risks and trust get real when applied relationally. Baring my soul – complete with insecurities, imperfections, annoyances and even giddiness – is scary. Sharing all of who we are with anyone is a risk. But, when relationships are developed under that kind of transparency, they’re precious…they’re real…they’re like home…the relationships themselves are heaven on earth…they withstand.

And I usually forget that part…that they withstand.

They withstand distance, busy-ness and changes in life directions. Relationships built on the big risk of transparency have built-in trust because they’re built ON trust.

My realization? I’m afraid of trusting those to whom I’m closest to love me in return. And that’s sad. As if they’re not capable of loving me as much as I love them? As if people aren’t capable of giving me grace for bummer or crabby days? As if their busyness or distance means they don’t care? Others may show love differently than I, but it doesn’t mean they don’t love. And, honestly, trusting their love might just be my greatest demonstration of love to them.

It’s funny, I spend most of my time in life finding ways to remind people that they’re loved. And, for me, it’s a very spiritual thing. I believe that we (human beings) were created to be loved, and to love in return. And I want everyone to know that. I believe that God loves us through everything around us…through things we see and relationships we experience. And, at some point, we simply need to choose to believe that we’re loved…even when we’re not entirely feeling it…because that is what faith is.

Do you note the irony here?

At some point, I need to trust people…and choose to believe I’m loved…even when I’m not entirely feeling it…because that’s what faith in their love for me is. And the reward? Knowing I don’t have to worry about whether or not they love me, but simply having peace in knowing I’m loved.

Accepting love is a choice. I would know…because it’s a choice I have to make, too.

I love writing. I love being vulnerable. I believe deeply that every thought and experience one person has can change at least one other life for the better.

So why is writing this blog (and the five book ideas in my head!) hard for me? Maybe it’s because I know that I know that I know that it’s something I should be doing and I put ridiculous pressure on myself.  Maybe it’s because I think doing other things with my time are more fruitful. Maybe it’s because it’s because it requires me to publish unrefined thoughts. Maybe it’s because a part of me is afraid of the vastness of where things could lead. I don’t know. It’s probably all of that.

But, I’m surrounded by amazing human beings. Amazing human beings who don’t know that they even hold me accountable to doing what I love…hold me accountable to not discounting what I love…hold me accountable for something they know I’m supposed to be doing, too. I’m grateful for them. They keep me going.

I think we all inexplicably avoid things we’re passionate about. And I think it’s because of fear. It’s stupid becaus, if it’s a passion of ours, and it’s a competency of ours, then it is our strength….and I believe that God operates through the unique talents he’s given each of us…operates through us. Why wouldn’t we give our strengths to Him, too? What’s to be afraid of? Because, perfect love casts out fear.

Close your eyes. Take a deep breath. Take a few more. Remember how much you’re loved. Trust that love. Trust the peace. And let God take over…no fear…we’re not alone.