This week: Emotions run rampant

I feel like I'm having the most emotional-rollercoaster week than I have had in a very long time.

Monday: Virginia Tech
Tuesday: Can't stop thinking about VT
Wednesday: Still thinking about VT, and then I get wind from some crazy stuff going down at my alma mater, Kuztown University. Last night I had to wrestle with God about financial stickiness as well.
This morning: Still wrestling with that stickiness from last night, and VT, and I find out more information about what went down at KU.

In the midst of being sorrowful and trying to climb out of it, now I'm a little pissed off and I'm trying really hard not to be (that is, to not sin in my anger).
So there's this Philly based group of people called "Repent America" and "Life and Liberty Ministries" and they decided to show their faces at Kutztown University campus yesterday -- the Day of Silence, of all days, and only two days after the Virginia Tech shooting. These are your fire-and-brimstone types, REPENT OR PERISH kind of people. Bearing signs reading "Homosexuality is a sin," and talking about abortion (apparently putting up images near the childhood and development center), they came with bullhorns. I wasn't there, but I've seen some photos and WFMZ's coverage of it ... and regardless of how accurate or not WFMZ's coverage is, the fact that this happened at all makes me mad. It's these kinds of people that made me not want to be a Christian so many years ago, so I have a biased stance on the whole situation, because I believe this kind of attitude blasphemes the very nature of God.

The most striking thing about their actions is that it speaks more as John the Baptist than Jesus. While it was necessary for John the Baptist to speak about repentance, and repentance is necessary, aren't we supposed to be like Jesus in our actions and preaching? The people that Jesus spoke out against the most were not sinners but the religious leaders of the day (which happened to be the Judaic priests and Pharisees, etc). They were rebuked for their hypocrisy, self-righteousness, and being "white washed tombs." They were rebuked for making it difficult for people to enter the kingdom of heaven by placing on them the Law and its regulations. (Matthew 23) This has a familiar ring to my ears with groups like the ones that showed up at Kutztown. Looking at Repent America's website, they seem to be more focused on the Old Testament Law than anything else... which doesn't make any sense to me, because we are part of the New Covenant. If you try to cling to the Old Covenant, you're a slave to the Law... and if you're a slave to the Law, the grace of God through Jesus Christ is worthless to you. Paul talks about it plainly in Romans. In a sense, you're making an idol out of the Law, and doesn't God's word say that there shall be no idols before Him? I believe that the Ten Commandments stand true today, otherwise there would be a lot of issues going on in the world. But Jesus says that the Law is summarized by loving the Lord your God, and loving your neighbor as yourself. In braying about fire-and-brimstone the way they do, they're not exactly characterizing the Love of God in a way people will understand.

And here's the thing... I do believe that homosexuality is a sin, and I do believe that abortion is a sinful act and I am pro-life. However, I also believe that I should hate the sin and love the person who is made in the image of God. A common phrase is 'hate the sin, love the sinner.' I recently read in a book of mine that it's more accurate to say that you're loving the one who bears the image of God. Abortionists and homosexuals, regardless of their acts, are still made in the image of God just as much as I am. More than that, why is it that their sin is of greater import than my sin? Aren't we all in the process of sanctification -- that is, being moved and changed and grown by the Holy Spirit so that our sins are pushed out over time? We aren't going to reach holiness and perfection in this life, and anyone who thinks so is heretical. Yes, we are covered by the blood of Christ and covered by HIS righteousness... but, we still sin even as Christians.

As someone had mentioned on a Facebook group, I'm sure that these groups think what they're doing is right. I'm sure they would look at me and, for this and several other reasons, think that I'm just as whacked out of my gourd as I think they are. And that's where the worlds collide, grappling until Kingdom Come.
God is a wrathful God, God is a just God. He is also a God of love, compassion, patience, and peace. How all of this works together, I don't know, because I am not God.

So all I can say, in spite of all my frustration and anger, is that God will deal with them as He will deal with us all.

I'm so tired of having an emotional week....