One this morning made his viewpoint very clear about how he sees people from other religions, how they need the word brought to them but he doesn't even want to associate with them. That the way for this church to grow is to do everything possible to get butts in the seats.
I just felt rubbed the wrong way about those statements. This was one of several tiny churches in a tiny town. Maybe the reason the seats aren't filled in this church is because they're filled in another. Maybe they are getting the word, just not in here. Or maybe, just maybe, people of the community have been rubbed the wrong way and don't want to come to this church anymore.
I'm not saying I dislike this church. There are a lot of good, wonderful brothers and sisters of Christ in there. But if the pews are empty, then there is probably something that isn't going well within the group. I'd much rather focus on taking the word out to the community and inviting them into the church home, but I don't think the ministering needs to be in the church. What about going out to the disabled, and the homeless? What about hosting community events to bring people of all walks of life together? We don't need a church building. Nobody does. If you think you do, try being an evangelist in a third world country. You'll probably have a big wake up.
I think what bothered me most was what was said about other religions. The religion in question was Islam, and Muslim people being an enemy of God. The kingdom of God belongs to God alone, and there is no way that I can ever understand the greatness of his power. The only people I know who could be enemies of God are the ones who denounce His existence, and even then they aren't even enemies, simply part of his lost flock. The point is, I don't believe that athiests, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindis, etc, are my enemies. They are my neighbors. Many are my friends. As much as I dislike certain Christian organizations, the Jed-heads and Westboro Baptist church family are my neighbors as well.
In Matthew 22:36-40, Jesus reiterates some of the laws of the Lord that were given to Moses.
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
In my second church service today, we talked about the parable of the Good Samaritan found in the Gospel of Luke. I knew from the childhood Sunday school stories that Samaritans were thought of by the Jews as bad people, and accepted it simply because that's how it was explained to me.
I learned in my house church, however, the background story of how Samaritans came to be. If you read in the Bible, there is quite a recurring theme of kings who trust in the Lord followed by kings who do wickedness in the eyes of the Lord, and then the people of Israel get captured and turned into slaves (happens in Egypt, Babylon, and Assyria [Syria], and Rome just to name a few), but in one such case with the Babylonians/Assyrians, many of the leaders of the Israelites were taken from their homes in Israel and Judah, and after years and years of slavery they were finally released and allowed to come back. What the new leaders found was that the Babylonians and Assyrians who had resided in the land of the Israelites intermarried with them, and so there were lots of 'half-breeds' running around. There became a new law banishing these half breeds from the town, treating them as though they were sub-level creatures of the Earth. The Samaritans, as they were labeled, continued to believe that God blessed them, and worshiped mostly at a nearby mountain. (Giving quite a general overview here, I apologize).
So back to the parable of the Good Samaritan. The context is that Jesus is approached by a man of the law who wanted to test Jesus, and asked him how to acquire God's favor and eternal life. I'll copy and paste the passage from Luke 10:25-37 :Give Me Your Eyes by Brandon Heath
On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
"What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?"
He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"
"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."
But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"
In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'
"Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"
The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him."
Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."
Now, with my new understanding of Samaritans, this story takes on a new realm. This Samaritan, in the 1st century Jew's eyes, would never be the 'good guy'. Samaritans were evil. Half breeds. Not even close to God's love. There is so much disdain for them that the expert in the law will not even answer Jesus that the Samaritan was the neighbor; he answers 'the one who had mercy on him.' The Jews believed that the Priest, the head of the Temple would. Well, he must've had his reasons why not. The man was probably unclean! Well the Levite would! They have always been a favored family of the Israelites. Well, I'm sure he didn't want to become unclean either. Both of these men, who were clearly in God's favor, did nothing to help their fellow Jew. Instead, it was the unlikely half breed. The Samaritan felt compassion for him.
Imagine telling a modern example of this parable to a former slave owner post civil war; that if he lie dying on the ground that neither his white slave driver or his white retired Confederate neighbor would stop to help, but a newly freed black man. Say, what?
Everyone is your neighbor.Westboro. Brother Jed. The Hindu family from India that just moved into your apartment complex. The homeless man that collects aluminum cans from your garbage. The perverted guy who hits on you at the bar. The drunk sorority girl who skips class. The campus minister that preaches things you really don't agree with. Members of Al Quaida. All of these people are my neighbors. Do I treat them as I should?
No. I will admit it. I have lied to beggars, saying that I have nothing. I have ignored the homeless in my backyard. I have talked badly about fraternity guys and sorority girls and their immoral habits. How am I being a neighbor to them? I'm not.
I need to love all of these people as myself. That doesn't mean that I should give all my money to a homeless woman strung out on drugs that swears she's just hungry. What I could do is buy her a meal, though. To offer her a sweater I don't need to keep her warm.
I want to become a better person. I need to love these people. I need to pray for these people. I think the first step is opening my eyes. I don't know what my plan of action is, but I think I'm making baby steps in the right direction.
Give me your eyes for just one second.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNS7GclZ7vg&feature=view_all&list=PLC78F3C1164E6281B&index=3
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