Pulse Of The Nation

This past weekend a tragedy happened when a man full of hatred opened fire on people at a gay bar named Pulse in Orlando, FL  

What is disturbing besides the obvious loss of life is the hatred of many people that claim to be Christians. Yes emphatically the Bible condemns homosexuality, but it also condemns hatred.

"Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen." 1 John 4:20

Of course he's talking about loving your fellow Christian, but I think the principle still applies.  If you say you follow God and are a Christian, why are you running around spewing hatred?

I'm in no way saying that you should condone a lifestyle you don't agree with, but acting like those people are beneath you and that God hates them is a lie and a shame.

If God hated sinners, why did Jesus hang around with tax collectors and prostitutes?  God loves everyone. He wants to draw everyone into relationship with himself. 

The Bible clearly says "God is love".  God showed the ultimate expression of love when in the form of his only son Jesus he suffered and died on a cross two-thousand years ago so that he could save some.  He knew he wouldn't save us all, we all have a free will.  But he still died for some of us.

Don't you think we should show love to those outside of our faith and beliefs and maybe that would draw them closer to God?  Spewing hatred and theology may sound lofty, but it's doing absolutely nothing to help.

Remember what Jesus said in Matthew 23:27 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean."

I pray for peace, I pray for God's love to flood our land.  We don't deserve his grace, but I ask for it humbly and thank him for the almost 240 years that he has allowed this country to exist and stand.  We certainly don't deserve his love or grace but he still freely offers it.