#17 Perspective and Love
So, there's an image that has been circulating around Facebook for some time that depicts 2 strangers looking at a letter. It is drawn to look like either a w or an m depending on the perspective of the individual looking. One says it’s a w and the other claims it’s an m. The entire point of the picture is to state that “Truth is a matter of perspective.” Now based on the situation, that only applies subjectively to the people involved. Somebody had to have drawn that number in the first place and knew exactly what they wanted it to be. Outside parties, however, have no access to this information and must draw a conclusion based on their individually limited information. Quite simply, this is the concept of perspective.
Perspective is a tool, a way for us to sort through and make sense of the world around us. Typically, our perspective becomes more rigid as the subject material gets closer to what we care about. To this point, I would like to pose a question to my fellow Christians...what is your perspective on the process of sharing the Gospel? Growing up, I remember an emphasis was always put on sharing the gospel with my neighbors and strangers; that they would come to see the love and freedom that Christ offers. Now, while I understand and agree with that sentiment, the methodology was something that confused me as I got older. The Great Commission says, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20) This is a beautiful Scripture that lays out the plan for fellow believers, but I sometimes wonder how effective we are at this.
Church attendance has been falling since before the pandemic, and while I don’t believe that regular attendance makes you a Christian (more on this another day), I think that there’s something to be said about its decline. I fall back on the words of Paul in 1 Corinthians when he talks about love. He says, “If I speak in the tongues[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.” (1 Corinthians 13:1-2) In this chapter, Paul is answering a question that our society has been constantly asking and even named a song after it: “What is love?” More so, he is highlighting how important it is that “love” be the foundation on which we do ministry. “Going and making disciples” becomes ineffective without love. Will people follow you? Maybe. But their foundation will be based on how you made them feel and not the love that Christ has for them. Once that feeling dissipates or changes, they turn to God in disappointment and frustration. “Teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” becomes ineffective without love. Will they “follow” the rules? Sure, but their obedience won’t come from love for Christ. It will come from conformity and fear of discipline. Why would anyone want to be in a relationship with someone they are taught will send them to hell for breaking the rules? (That last statement was not to minimize the notion of consequences but to highlight the application of fear instead of love.) Speaking in tongues, prophecy, knowledge, and faith mean nothing without love.
I said all that to say this: I wonder how many people are turned off by Christianity because we are taught to “speak truth” but missed the “love your neighbor” portion of the Bible? I wonder how many people are turned off because they revealed their problems and were met with disdain and abandonment instead of love and hope from the Christian community? I wonder how many people are turned off by Christianity because they were promised an immediate solution to their problems in Jesus but nothing seemed to change?
I ask these questions because I have met these hurting people. Sometimes, the Gospel isn’t shared in a bible verse or a sermon. Sometimes, it’s the moment of silence when someone just needs a shoulder to cry on. Sometimes, it’s the coffee meetup to check up and ask how someone is doing. Sometimes, it’s the text to see if someone needs help moving their furniture out of their house. Sharing the gospel does not have to rely on one specific version of execution. Not only did Christ spend His time preaching, but he also spent it living among people and serving them. Service can be just as powerful as speaking Scripture.
This post is written in love and care for all my Christian and non-Christian brothers and sisters. I hope, to everyone that isn’t a Christian, that one day you will come to see that Jesus loves you and died on the cross for you to save you. For all the Christians out there, let’s not get so caught up in preaching and defending the Bible that we forget how to love people. Jesus wants everyone to know that he loves them and I pray that we never forget that.
(P.S. Feel free to comment and share your thoughts on my thought. I invite and welcome thoughtful discussion.)
May the Lord bless you, lead you, and guide you this week in all you do this week.
