Faith – Love – Hope

In the wake of a momentous time in Minnesota history, I feel it necessary to say how happy I am to be able to live in a state that is one step closer to equality.  I don’t really follow politics and have little interest in doing so.  However, I do believe that government has its purpose and that rules and laws were put in place to protect people and our freedom. But, when the government restricts love, in any form; it really isn’t doing its job. 

We all have our own thoughts and beliefs, and we don’t have to agree with how people live or act, but regardless, whether you approve, disapprove, or are indifferent about the new bill allowing gay marriage, what I think really matters, it that we are striving to be the best people we can be, by showing love, compassion, integrity and respect for each other. 

Throughout my faith journey, I am constantly reminded how Jesus Christ went out of his way to make sure people were treated with love and respect, and then commanded them to show the same love and respect to others.  And though, I am not well versed in biblical history or theology, I can assure you that the lifestyle choices some people were making were not totally liked by Christ, yet he still felt love and hope for all people. By showing people unconditional love, he felt confident they would pay it forward.

As I raise my two young children, my goal is to give them a foundation centered in Christ, filled with love and respect, confidence and hope for the future, and an open heart to accept others as children of God.  Whenever my son doesn’t know the answer to a question, his default answer is “Love God”.  I think that pretty much sums it up.  In order to “Love God”, we have to show respect and compassion to everyone.  Have you ever tried to have an argument with someone who is calm, cool and respectful?  It is extremely difficult, not to say frustrating, to remain angry.  I think this is a simplified example of what those two words “Love God” mean.  How can you possibly not spread God’s love if that is what you are putting out there?

-Lora

Imagine there's no Heaven...

I was driving yesterday and came up behind a ford ranger with a ridiculous amount of bumper stickers, most of them religious in nature, one posing the question “If you died right now would you go to Heaven or Hell? Reading this question I wondered what the hope in posing this question is, is it that an unbeliever would reflect on the question and in a panic, flee to a local church to find out how they might go to Heaven? I’ve worked in the church for almost ten years and don’t ever recall a panicked person rushing to the church office, in the hopes of buying “fire insurance.” And if they did, what kind of Christian does this fear tactic produce?

I do however, remember going to a church play in High School called “Heaven’s Gates, Hell’s Flames” the play was a series of scenarios in which the actors’ portrayed troubled youth being tempted by Satan, and committing an assortment of sins sending them to Hell. At the end of the play, a similar question, as that written on the bumper sticker, was asked. “If you died on your way home tonight, where would you go, Heaven or Hell?” this was followed by an alter call in which hundreds of panicked teens and adults rushed to the front of the church. One of which was a close friend of mine, who was an unbeliever. He proclaimed that he had given his life to Christ, and of course I was excited for him, and praised God that this lost sheep had been found. However, despite my challenges, his life didn’t change, he didn’t seek a relationship with Christ, but was convinced that he was going to Heaven, because he had said a prayer.

Are we Christians, do we go to church every Sunday, do we love our neighbor, just so we can go to Heaven? I challenge you in the words of John Lennon:

Imagine there's no heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today...

I’m not suggesting theirs no heaven or hell, in fact I believe in both. What I am suggesting is that we should accept Christ, worship God, and love our neighbor, because we desire a relationship with Christ and that since God dwells within us, we should desire nothing but God and work towards sanctification.  

I want to end this post with Hassidic story that I heard on a debate about the afterlife (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjKJ92b9Y04) the Rabbi in this debate, tells a story about the Kotzker Rebbe, in which he walks by someone’s home and sees a woman so poor that she can’t afford a Shabbat meal. So he prays that she magically has a Shabbat meal bestowed upon her, she receives the meal. The Rebbe then hears a vision which says because you has intervened in the affairs of this world, you have lost your place in the world to come… He starts to dance, and when asked why he was dancing he says “that for the first time I’m able to serve God without expectation of reward.”