The shooting deaths in a Charleston, South Carolina church last week have shocked the world. We know evil exists, but rarely do we see this kind of hatred and blatant disrespect for life.
Being a racist killer is one thing. But killing people while they are in church? I really didn't think you could get any lower.
Then I heard that Westboro "Baptist" "Church" had plans to boycott the funerals of the nine victims and realized I was wrong.
First of all, I'm not really sure who boycotts a funeral. Even the passing of a convicted criminal mastermind is a bit sad in that it is the loss of life. The loss of something magical. Respect for the dead is something generally given to those who are no longer with us.
The victims of this shooting were doing better than most of us when they died. In church, acknowledging their need to seek God. They may not have been perfect. Their political views may have differed from mine. They may have had skeletons in their closet. But they died believing something that I believe. Something that it is the church's responsibility to share with the world. The gospel.
That's why I hesitate to call Westboro a church. They might meet together under a steeple or in someone's living room and claim that they are doing God's will but that doesn't make them a church. The Bible says you will know them by their fruits. A good tree will not produce rotten fruit and that is exactly what Westboro grows. Rotten apples, hatred, feeding off the pain of others to push their message. The message Jesus wanted preached to the nations was his message. That he came to offer freedom of sins to all men. Because all men are born sinful and in need of a savior.
All men.
Even you, Westboro.
In Luke 13 there is recorded conversation between Jesus and his followers. A horrible incident had occurred where a tower had fallen on eighteen people and killed them. The followers are asking about the event, suggesting that maybe the tower falling was due to the sin of the men who died. That they somehow deserved it. Jesus tells them that those men were no worse sinners than they are. Then he says these words. "Unless you repent, you also will perish."
So that's the message I have for this "church". The Bible says if you sin once you're considered guilty of breaking God's law. It also says that EVERY man has sinned. So we are all essentially in the same boat. Sinful humans divorced from a holy God until we are forgiven and wed to him forever by the grace and love given to us through an unexplainable sacrifice. The holy became rags in order to take our rags and clothe us in righteousness.
A base reading of the New Testament will show you that yes, God hates sin. But he also loves sinful humanity.
Jesus told his followers to love their enemies and said that if we didn't love each other that we didn't really know God.
Westboro, you can't consider boycotting a funeral loving, can you? I understand your concern for our country. I understand your desire that people repent of their sin and turn to God. But the way you go about it pushes people farther from God.
Jesus said that his followers can be identified and picked out of the crowd by the way they showed love. Even to the least of these. Jesus ate with thieves and declared that they would enter paradise if they just trusted and believed him.
To harass someone that is grieving is not biblical. The Bible instructs us to mourn with those who mourn. Westboro may think they have this whole thing figured out and that they are in a seat to cast judgment. But they are no different than the fags, democrats, or homosexuals that they claim that God hates.
Jesus said that hatred in your heart is the same as murder. I hope and pray that anyone who sees this "church" will realize that they don't speak for God and will read the words of Jesus for themselves.
What our world needs now is love. God is love and he offers his followers a changed heart so they can join him in his work of redemption. God did not send his son into the world to condemn it but to save it.
If Westboro is only condemning does that mean that their mission is in line with Jesus' mission?
Or is their mission more similar to the mission of one who is referred to in the Bible as "the accuser".
