The text you're about to read came from Hannah Brencher. I am mostly posting this as a reminder to myself. A reminder to love and stop arguing, to wait and not worry, to be and not battle. So that when I come back here in a few weeks or months, I'll be reminded that the details, those little theological sticking points that cause so much division and pain, aren't as important as the Story.
The year is 2015-
We have enough questions and angry Facebook rants. Enough anger. Enough pain. The media is full of wanting the church to answer questions. We all get a little cray with our megaphones and character counts. And I rarely ever speak up but I have to say this- the God of the Bible didn’t grill people on their political stances. The Jesus of the Bible didn’t sit and wait for someone to sit and hash out their sins to a jury of their peers. The Jesus I read about had one simple question and one command to follow it:
Do you love me?
He asked that three times to Simon Peter.
Do you love me?
Not, are you perfect? Do you never sin? What is your view on sex outside of marriage? What is your view on homosexuality?
These questions will never lead us into an answer that can actually help a hurting world where people feel scared and unsafe and already not belonging.
Do you love me?
That’s the simplest and question: Do you love me?
And if you love me— if your answer is “yes”— then feed my sheep. That was his command: Feed my sheep. Show up for my people. Listen to their stories. Cry when you need to. Step away when you have to. Give until it hurts. Until it breaks you. Until you think you can’t go on any further. Stay in the mess. Stay in the trenches. Look for the holes. Dig in the deep end.
Feed my sheep. Stay up through the night. Get them breakfast. Meet them at diners. Sit in their questions. Give them your shoulders and your tired arms. You are not the answer. And you cannot save a person from their darkness but please don’t ignore it and act like it does not exist.
Stay up. Wait for them. Just wait. Be a light that is still on when they finally come home.
Everyone comes home eventually.
We’re all just wondering if someone will leave the light on for us when we finally start to find our way back.