Posted on July 22, 2010 at sometime around 10:37 am
“You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy.But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!” -Jesus of Nazareth
I think about this mantra of Jesus quite frequently. How do I love my enemies? I think the first step is identifying who our enemies are.
For me, I never really feel like I have enemies. Is it an extremist-Muslim? Is it the gay community? Is it the liberal media? Is it MTV? Is it Hulu? (PS - It’s only Hulu if they go to a subscription-based model instead of ad-based. Then they are definitely the enemy).
Or on an individual level. Is it the co-worker who constantly talks about themselves? Is it the person in church who treated you wrong a long time ago and the very thought of them makes you well-up with anger? Or your boss who you know is lazier than you? Or the person who is always stirring up drama, but “hates all the drama at work”?
Who knows. I don’t always even know who my enemies are. But I think it’s important to stop for a minute and think about who our enemies could be. That way, we could at least try to show these people love. And not just a half-hearted hello, but making that person feel loved.
I believe this is the most difficult command in all the land, but also one of the most important ways reconciliation can take place.
So, what would it look like for you to love your enemy? Would you treat anyone differently? Who are your “enemies”?
Posted on June 22, 2010 at sometime around 10:22 pm
To read more, head over to Relevant Magazine. I’d love to get your thoughts there.
Also, this was my first time being featured by a magazine, and it happens to be my favorite, so I was pretty excited! Thanks to everyone who read and gave me feedback. I’m always looking to move forward in my faith.
Posted on June 10, 2010 at sometime around 12:19 pm
The list below was compiled by Youth Specialties. These thinkers and practitioners have been huge in my personal growth and understanding of what it means to be an effective leader for young people. Check it out!
Posted on June 9, 2010 at sometime around 11:21 pm
Tonight our youth discussed “How to Follow God Through the Summer…And How to Make That Relationship Meaningful.” Sarah and I prepared the lesson and I was pleased with the response from the students. I thought I’d post the slides below, although all the stories and points in between are really what make it interesting. My hope and prayer for the students (and for you too now that you’ve joined the conversation) was that they would intentionally think about how they were spending their time and who they were hanging out with this summer, as their structure of their day looks much different. The phrase the students kept repeating was “Garbage in, Garbage out” (meaning whatever junk you put in will come out in your words and actions). I liked it.
First, I always start youth group with a funny or interesting video, so I’ll let you check out OK GO’s song and Rube Goldberg video. If you haven’t seen it yet, it’s incredible.
*Each student had to write at least one thing they were committing to for the summer off of the list. One girl said since she loved drawing she would read a portion of Scripture and turn it into an interesting visual on a regular basis. Pretty sweet way to connect with God, if you ask me.
Posted on May 25, 2010 at sometime around 11:36 am
If Mr. T were to sum up the message of Jesus, I think he’d say “I pity the fool that doesn’t love God and love others.” He would have a pretty good summary too.
One of the Pharisees, an expert in the law, tested Jesus with this question:
“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.”
