When Jesus was asked, “What is the greatest commandment?” Jesus answered with two commandments: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets” (emphasis mine). Andy Stanley made an interesting comment. Andy Stanley said that the phrase “the second is like it” is not hierarchical, that is, the second is less important than the first. But rather, complementary, the second completes the first, or is on the same level as the first. I had never thought of that. I now realize I can’t love God if I don’t love my neighbor. And, I can’t love my neighbor if I don’t love God. Now what Jesus said makes sense: that if I am approaching God and remember my neighbor has a problem with me, I am to first get right with my neighbor (as far as it depends on me) and then spend time with God. Because if I choose not to love my neighbor I am also choosing not to love God. (And remember, “love” means actively pursuing the highest good for my neighbor, not necessarily doing whatever they ask).
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Jesus loves Muslims, free speech, and freedom of religion
(This plea for freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and a statement of Jesus’ love for everyone was ironically censored by Google+. I have asked Google+ for a dialogue to learn what they object to and have not received any communication from them. Please read this post and let me know (specifically) how you interpret its ideas and why you think Google+ censored it, thank you).
I couldn’t sleep last night/this morning. So, I was on my computer and I came across a report on Loretta Lynch promising to prosecute any “Anti-Muslim” rhetoric “predicated on violence.” The writer of the report posed the question, “what exactly does that mean?” and answered, “possibly anything she wants it to mean.”
The America I grew up in (back in the day) defended freedom of speech and freedom of religion, though not in ways I always wanted. As an example, pornography, which in my opinion hurts those who make it and those who use it, was defended by the Supreme Court as an expression of free speech. Also, a certain religion that used an illegal drug in its worship was allowed to continue and use the drug legally by the Supreme Court when the court deemed it an exercise of freedom of religion.
I didn’t agree with those decisions but I recognized the need for freedom of speech and freedom of religion. I realized that the preservation of those freedoms for all outweighed my objections to specific applications. Now back to Loretta Lynch’s vague promise to prosecute. I agree with Loretta Lynch’s end, that is I don’t want a backlash against Muslims. All Americans (Muslims, Christians, Jews, Atheists… ) deserve to live a life free of fear. But what I fear is the means to this end; as the Obama Administration and this current Supreme Court have proven capable of deliberately over-reaching the law, deliberately under-interpreting the law, and deliberately making-up law. What are they capable of doing to the freedom of religion and the freedom of speech in this instance?
After courageous American Christians lost their lives by standing up to a gunman and proclaiming their faith in Jesus, there was no U.S. government statement about the protection of Christians that would follow, (that I know of). President Obama did not even acknowledge that there had been a “hate-crime” against Christians. But when two Muslims in California “bent on Jihad” (a tenet of Islam that instructs Muslims to kill non-Muslims) kill innocent people, this government threatens to silence any speech critical of Islam and similar followers.
Jesus wants all people (including Muslims “bent on Jihad”) to know that he loves them, forgives them, and wants them to turn from evil and join him in loving God and loving people. That is what I want too.
Searching for that missing piece…
God loves you. God, in the person of Jesus, wants to sit down and have coffee with you. He is completely and desperately in love with you. He has been desperately seeking you your whole life. You may not know it but you have been desperately seeking Jesus your whole life as well. Every relationship, every recreational drug, every drink, every fight, every crime, every time you’ve given up, every time you’ve over achieved, has been an attempt to find that missing part of you, but you didn’t know it. You were looking for Jesus. Jesus said, You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all of your heart. Jesus has done everything needed in order to have a forever relationship with you. If you will seek him, and not give up, he guaranteed he would be found by you. But the choice to get to know him is yours. Why not choose him now?
I AM for You! 