Be Careful What You Ask For

Perhaps you’ve seen Christians posting the following on their social media profiles: “God break my heart for what breaks yours”. I have seen an increase in these declarations in many spaces I reside as a Pastor. On the one hand, this brings me great joy. However, in far too many cases, the lifestyle we see unfold on those same pages provides evidence of living a life that is contrary to this declaration.

As someone who has often fallen into the same trap, I want to assure all of us that when your heart starts to actually break for those that God’s heart breaks for or those who you once viewed with disdain, that is when you know the Holy Spirit has finally reached into the depth of your soul with a deeper understanding of the love that God has for ALL people, including you.

For me, I can count too many of those days in life to begin to unpack them all. But there are three that stand out as exceedingly transformational.  

The first was the day that I realized people on the other side of the political aisle were not demonically controlled monsters. They were simply people with different lived experiences than me. For years, I allowed voices like Rush Limbaugh to sew hate into my thinking about fellow human beings worthy of respect. As I have grown in my understanding of the Gospel proclaimed by King Jesus, I have realized more fully that He was one of the most political people to ever live but He was also likely the least partisan. He stood with & for ALL.

The next great awakening came the day I realized that I was infected by racist thinking brought about by a system created to ensure that people like me - cis gendered heterosexual white males - had advantages those in minority culture or those that are not men could never hope to attain. Making this a deeper hole for me was a family dynamic that instilled a deep hatred for “the other”. Gratefully, as I studied Jesus’ words, it became clear to me that His love for “the other” stands in stark contrast of any hatred that is sadly found in far too much modern theology. It is only because of His grace in showing me this deep truth that we could ever provide a safe nurturing space for our wonderful bi-racial adopted son, who is the delight of my heart.

Finally, I stand in awe of God for the deep love He is giving me for the LGTBTQ+ community. This deep unconditional love is in direct opposition to the judgmental unloving position I have held for much of my Christian journey. Through a thorough study of the Bible alongside honest conversation with LGBTQ+ friends it has become clear to me that God’s heart for these dear friends is the same heart He has for me. I can even disagree with people on the nuance of doctrine or theology while clinging fast to the choice to love, honor, & respect individuals no matter the cost.

I am awake in ways that will make some uncomfortable because I was once where they are on this journey. To some, my theology may appear to have changed and though I will proudly declare that my theology on love, grace, & forgiveness has indeed seen some shifts brought about by deeper study of God’s words, it is actually my posture that has shifted more deeply into leading & ending with love for ALL above everything.