I hate this. Like a lot. My social media is full of talk about the US Supreme Court's decision, there are rainbows and hashtags of #lovewins but I don't see anyone winning because all I see are people drawing lines and arming for battle.
And honestly, I feel caught in the middle because I have people I love on both sides of the line.
I've seen posts from both sides of the argument saying things like, "No one should say this or that, or you're getting deleted from my friends list."
Tell me, how is love winning when we say this?
Not everyone's reaction has been this, and to those people I say, well done! This article is not for you. Thank you for being the bigger person. Well done for moving forward through this in true love.
Because true love bears all things.
Drawing Lines and the Real Battlefield
I'm reminded of a bunch of people who threw a woman at Jesus' feet and demanded justice. She'd been caught in the act of adultery and they wanted to stone her but Jesus bent down and drew in the sand. I don't know what he wrote, but I know it was enough to turn everyone away.
What was it he said to them?
"He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her."
John Chapter 8, Verse 7
Here's what I know to be true. My fight is not against flesh and blood, so I will not enter this battle of who's right and who's wrong. I won't post all my thoughts all over Facebook or other social media sites.
If someone comes and privately asks my opinion on the matter, then together we will seek God's heart on this and turn to His word on what he says about the subject and above all do it with love.
Open Letters
To my Christian friends, let's find a way forward in love. Let's remember that this group of people are just like us. Humans created by a loving God. Let's not judge them, because which one of us would like to have a magnifying glass pointed at our lives?
Instead, let's love on them and if you don't know how, then it's time for a bible study on what love is. If you're scared that then they won't know the truth. Well for starters, fear is not of the Lord and secondly, I think God can convict a heart more than anything we say or do.
To my LGBT friends, let's find a way to move forward gracefully. Even though many of you have been hurt by the church, be the bigger person and really live up to your #lovewins.
Celebrate with grace and don't become like the people you've experienced. Don't force people to react to you in a certain way. If you really want love to win, then let the people in your life be genuine.
#lovewins
See the thing is, which ever side of the line you've chosen, deep down, we all want the same thing. At least that's what we're all saying.
We want love to win.
And if we really want love to win then we need to remember love doesn't force people. Love loves with open arms. With patience. With kindness. With gentleness.
I know this article will ruffle feathers and sadly, I may lose friends on both sides and I may even have some hateful or hurtful words flung at me. It's not something I am looking forward to, I love every single person in my life and I can only trust that my words will be received with the love that they were written with.
I do not profess to be an expert in love. I make just as many mistakes as the next person, but I can't help put this out there in the world in the hopes it convicts people to really live up to letting love win.
Charis Joy Jackson is working as a full-time missionary with Youth With A Mission (YWAM) a non-profit organization in Brisbane. During the day she makes movies and in her spare time is writing a novel. www.charisjoyjackson.com
Charis Jackson's previous articles may be viewed at http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/charis-jackson.html
