This might be an uncomfortable time for you. It is for me. Many of us have been living in a really comfortable age where we didn’t have to stand for much of anything because none of what we loved was under threat. That’s privilege.
And now, we find ourselves losing things that matter. Things like freedom of speech, the value of hospitality upon which our country has been built, racial and gender equality, and a lot of other things with varying degrees of clarity.
It’s okay if you’re uncomfortable. It’s okay if you’re not sure what to do or where you fit into all the peaceful protests and opinionated social media posts and petitions and pleas for sanity. Please know that you’re not alone.
Though it is overwhelming and feels tricky to navigate, the most important thing is that we don’t do nothing. Now is not the time for waiting for someone else to step up to the plate. Now is not the time for silence and inaction.
Now is the time to find something to do–something that fits with your skill set and passion–and do it. Silence is a privilege we no longer have. Silence has become complicity. Let’s do something about this and live like God is bigger than our fears and anxieties and what if’s.
Jesus said that our love for one another would prove to the world that we love Him (John 13:35). He promises over and over that we can trust Him to take care of us and the ones we love (Matthew 6:25-34, John 14:1, Philippians 4:6-7, 1 John 5:14-15). He also asks us to take care of others. To feed and clothe those in need, to care for the sick, and to welcome strangers into our home. He said, unequivocally, that doing this for one of the “least of these” was the same as doing it for Him (Matthew 25:34-46).
We are all in need.
We need compassion.
We need grace.
We need patience and mercy and unconditional love.
We have all been the least and Jesus has never failed to give us what we need, whether we realized it at the time or not.
Doing this for others is what bringing the Kingdom of God to earth looks like. Feeding the hungry. Welcoming the displaced. Wrapping our arms around those who are hurting.
This is what I have to stand for today. My arms are open because I have no other choice. This is the love I’ve been show by God and this is the love that beats at the walls of my heart. It throws open its arms and gathers you in. It shelters, provides, comforts, and it cannot be intimidated. This love gets rid of fear (1 John 4:18-19).
Don’t be afraid to love those you’ve been told are your enemy. That is the foundation of Heaven. It is the root of who we are as Jesus followers. I love that my country is built on welcoming people in and I don’t want that to go away.
Let’s take this opportunity to love the people around us. Love them hard because He loved us first. In doing so, we will be seeking God’s kingdom together.
xo,
K
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