Just Wondering

I have an online acquaintance. For "identity" purposes, I call him JJ.

JJ seems to be a nice enough guy. He is fairly intelligent, and is very good at his craft/hobby, though I'm not sure what he does professionally. He is also as far left as almost anyone could possibly be. He puts the "L" in liberal. He is also gay, and and atheist.

None of these, honestly, bother me.

However, simply put, JJ hates anything religious. To be fair, not just Christianity, but any kind of religion. He believes it is full of lies, misguidance, and for the weak of mind. He also blames it for all that is wrong in the world. He even goes as far to say that the world would be better off without ANY kind of religion, and "preaches" that message to whomever will listen.

In other words, he is the exact polar opposite of me. With the exception of a few insignificant commonalities (for indeed a commonality that you share with the entire human race while significant in "size" does not account for a whole lot), we have nothing in common.

Yet, he is nice to me, and seems to treat me with respect. He hates everything that I believe and stand for, yet he seems to separate that from "me."

So, when he does something nice for me, and goes out of his way to do it, why am I paranoid? Why can I not just accept a token of friendship.

I realized the answer tonight, ironically enough, during a MAF presentation at church. (MAF is a mission organization that supports missionaries and workers around the world through the use of aircraft, etc. More info can be found at Their Website)

I have gone on several short term mission projects. In my early 20's I felt the call to missions though the doors have never opened for me to pursue that. I have wiped babies' noses, waded through mud and muck, let a little child with TB sit in my lap, handed out food, toys, clothing, etc to those less fortunate with one goal -- showing Christ's love.

I've also felt, here at home, that we must meet people's short term physical needs in order to build a relationship with them so that I can ultimately share Christ with them. (And in Christianese, that translates "getting saved.")

If you are a Christian, you are quite possibly not seeing anything wrong with that philosophy.

I do, now.

Perhaps that is what JJ is doing to me. Building a relationship with me so that he can introduce me to his godless way and have one less "religious" adherent in the world.

I realized, tonight, that I must share God's love with people that may never accept it simply because I love them. I must be willing to give them a glass of water, and laugh and love with them, even if they never, ever accept Christ.

My job is NOT to get them to accept Christ.

My job is to love them as Christ loved them.

Christ loved the two thieves that were killed beside him. One of them never accepted Him.

So, when I serve those in the community, when I take food to someone who needs it, when I ask an elderly shut in if there is anything I can do, when I reach out to my gay/atheist/religious-hating friend, am I doing it because I truly care when he is hurting, or do I have the ulterior motive?

I truly believe Christ doesn't want us to have the ulterior motives. Yes, Christ wants them to be saved. Yes, Christ wants us to share with them.

But, I don't think the wham-bam-hit-and-run visitation program is going to do it. It may have worked 40 years ago, or even 10, but the world has changed. Significantly, even, just since I got out of college 14 years ago.

The world wants REALness, sincerity, and transparency, three things that are lacking in most of society today.

In short, we must truly love people, and through this love, people will begin to know the true character of Christ.