Make no doubt about it: The kindness to which we Christians are called is difficult. It’s never easy to go about the work of reconciliation in the world.
We Christian talk about love, but I oftentimes think that’s just a warm fuzzy word to make us sound good. It’s simply too amorphous and too abstract. We’ve pretty much lost the biblical sense of love a long time ago. So I don’t focus there. Because, while we’re being honest, I know too many brothers and sisters in the Faith who use the word love to justify being harsh and exclusive. Love becomes doing what is “best” for you and, by the way, you don’t get to decide what is best for you. (In full disclosure, I’ve done this all-too-often in the past. But I try to catch myself from doing it.)
This is why I think the Bible so much stress on God’s loving-kindness. We’re supposed to start small. Work on kindness first, then worry about love. If we’re thoroughgoing kind people, love will follow. But if we get kind wrong, it’s really hard to love, biblically.
So, for we Christians, we’re talking baby steps here. Kindness first. Then love.
I say this again today because I’ve been thinking how often kindness is not only difficult for we Christians, but how often we’re less and less like God in Jesus, and more like the Satan.
At one point in Luke’s gospel (10.17-18), Jesus makes a cryptic comment about Satan: “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven”.
Most of us like to think that means some mythical bady-bad extraordinaire. I focus a little more on the Hebrew word הַשָּׂטָן (ha-satan) -- the accuser.
Satan isn’t a person. He’s an office -- the accuser. Or even the accusation. Whenever I encounter the accuser or the accusation, there’s the satan. The process seems pretty clear cut. The accusation presents itself, and -- boom! -- there’s a person doing the accusing. Jesus tells us that satan is no longer in heaven. What he means is that there’s now no personified accusation before God. Instead, there’s an Intercessor on our behalf. An advocate, not an accuser.
Contrast Job’s hopes in Job 16.18-21 and 19.23-27 with Jesus in Hebrews 4.14-16.
“I saw Satan fall like lightening.” Because where Job had experienced him before God, now there’s Jesus.
And I go a step further: Where do we experience satan now? On earth. God has no desire to hear the accusations hurled at us from every side of the biblical heavenly court. Now all those accusations happen here, on earth.
So, in a very real sense, whenever I encounter these accusations, the accusations are coming from here, from us. We make really great satans. Judging and standing in accusation before God of one another. We’re really great at playing the Pharisee from Jesus’ parable: “I thank you Lord that I’m not like these other people” (Luke 18). Or playing the part of the crowds that love to stone: “The Law says to stone her” (John 8). Or the older brother: “This son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, and you kill the fattened calf for him!” (Luke 15). Or the religious leaders in accusation of Jesus: “Your teacher eats with tax-collectors and sinners” (Matthew 9).
There are plenty of satans on earth.
And guess who gets to play him most often?
Christians. (And I’m including myself here.)
We’re often not only the source, but the very model, of the accusing.
Just think the Inquisition if you need historical evidence. But I doubt you do. Because we’re so good at it — proficient, even. If there’s one thing we Christians are known for, it’s being accusers.
I’ve been thinking about this recently because of so many stories shared with me about how Christians have created such a stumbling block for God. There’s much less “being ambassadors” of the kindness of God in Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5), and far more making great little satans.
So what should we do?
Focus a lot less on love and a lot more on kindness. Start small.
Recently, in attempting a kindness to someone who’s been rather unkind toward me lately, I yet again got the accusation that I was just trying to hurt this person.
And all I can think? “A gentle answer turns away wrath, / but a harsh word stirs up anger” (Proverbs 15.1).
Start small. Just be kind. Let go of the accusing. Don’t be satan. Be Jesus.
We Christian talk about love, but I oftentimes think that’s just a warm fuzzy word to make us sound good. It’s simply too amorphous and too abstract. We’ve pretty much lost the biblical sense of love a long time ago. So I don’t focus there. Because, while we’re being honest, I know too many brothers and sisters in the Faith who use the word love to justify being harsh and exclusive. Love becomes doing what is “best” for you and, by the way, you don’t get to decide what is best for you. (In full disclosure, I’ve done this all-too-often in the past. But I try to catch myself from doing it.)
This is why I think the Bible so much stress on God’s loving-kindness. We’re supposed to start small. Work on kindness first, then worry about love. If we’re thoroughgoing kind people, love will follow. But if we get kind wrong, it’s really hard to love, biblically.
So, for we Christians, we’re talking baby steps here. Kindness first. Then love.
I say this again today because I’ve been thinking how often kindness is not only difficult for we Christians, but how often we’re less and less like God in Jesus, and more like the Satan.
At one point in Luke’s gospel (10.17-18), Jesus makes a cryptic comment about Satan: “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven”.
Most of us like to think that means some mythical bady-bad extraordinaire. I focus a little more on the Hebrew word הַשָּׂטָן (ha-satan) -- the accuser.
Satan isn’t a person. He’s an office -- the accuser. Or even the accusation. Whenever I encounter the accuser or the accusation, there’s the satan. The process seems pretty clear cut. The accusation presents itself, and -- boom! -- there’s a person doing the accusing. Jesus tells us that satan is no longer in heaven. What he means is that there’s now no personified accusation before God. Instead, there’s an Intercessor on our behalf. An advocate, not an accuser.
Contrast Job’s hopes in Job 16.18-21 and 19.23-27 with Jesus in Hebrews 4.14-16.
“I saw Satan fall like lightening.” Because where Job had experienced him before God, now there’s Jesus.
And I go a step further: Where do we experience satan now? On earth. God has no desire to hear the accusations hurled at us from every side of the biblical heavenly court. Now all those accusations happen here, on earth.
So, in a very real sense, whenever I encounter these accusations, the accusations are coming from here, from us. We make really great satans. Judging and standing in accusation before God of one another. We’re really great at playing the Pharisee from Jesus’ parable: “I thank you Lord that I’m not like these other people” (Luke 18). Or playing the part of the crowds that love to stone: “The Law says to stone her” (John 8). Or the older brother: “This son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, and you kill the fattened calf for him!” (Luke 15). Or the religious leaders in accusation of Jesus: “Your teacher eats with tax-collectors and sinners” (Matthew 9).
There are plenty of satans on earth.
And guess who gets to play him most often?
Christians. (And I’m including myself here.)
We’re often not only the source, but the very model, of the accusing.
Just think the Inquisition if you need historical evidence. But I doubt you do. Because we’re so good at it — proficient, even. If there’s one thing we Christians are known for, it’s being accusers.
I’ve been thinking about this recently because of so many stories shared with me about how Christians have created such a stumbling block for God. There’s much less “being ambassadors” of the kindness of God in Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5), and far more making great little satans.
So what should we do?
Focus a lot less on love and a lot more on kindness. Start small.
Recently, in attempting a kindness to someone who’s been rather unkind toward me lately, I yet again got the accusation that I was just trying to hurt this person.
And all I can think? “A gentle answer turns away wrath, / but a harsh word stirs up anger” (Proverbs 15.1).
Start small. Just be kind. Let go of the accusing. Don’t be satan. Be Jesus.