Matthew 22:36-40

“Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?”  He said to him,“You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.  This is the greatest and the first commandment.

The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

How many of us have read responses to articles, blogs and videos that made our hair stand on end?  Vile, frightening words from people whose hearts are filled with an anger that comes from a place of darkness, not light.

We are called to be the light to the world.  As the saying goes “to show we are Christians by our love”…  Naturally, believing that we are to be loving, even in the face of hate and ridicule, I have to wonder why so many people who claim to be believers feel it is acceptable to engage in such despicable rhetoric.

A Recent Example:

The CFO who chose a drive-thru window and an unsuspecting young lady named Rachel to make a poorly worded diatribe against a company for upholding traditional values and then posts it to YouTube.

The CFO lost his job for his behavior and unfortunately was also the recipient of many threats via phone and email.  His home address was posted online and he, his wife and children had to leave their home for a safer location.  The behavior by those claiming to hold traditional values and morals towards this man is reprehensible.  We DO NOT treat people this way – PERIOD!

I don’t agree with what Smith did.  He likely heard some snippet that was not completely accurate about Cathy’s remarks about his support for “the biblical definition of the family unit” and decided to take part in some activism that ended up going south.  He and others who feel that people who hold traditional values should be mocked and ridiculed, need our prayers, not our hatred.

The challenge, I believe, is that those who strengthen us in our faith – our priests, pastors, bishops, ministers, etc… are not preaching from the pulpit on how to handle our response to these attacks against our faith and our morality.  We are left to defend ourselves and some choose to respond in kind or even with more vile rhetoric than the originator.

We need our church leaders to be our shepherds.  Guide us.  Teach us how to respond with love and kindness.  This does not mean to call for meekness or to not respond at all if we fill called to respond.  Instead, share with your flock how to respond in Christ’s love.  Remind us to pray and to put the Lord first in our hearts before responding.  Encourage us to be respectful and factual in our responses.  Preach that to love as Christ loves means that we cannot sow hate with our words or we risk becoming just like those we seek to change.

“And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
They will know we are Christians by our love

Love is patient, love is kind
Never boasts, not full of pride
Always hopes, always trusts
The evidence of Christ in us”

Is is time for us to be the light in this world!

Mrs. Summitt