Over the past couple of days I've received 3 e-mails about an acquaintance of mine that is on the cover of many tabloid magazines right now. This blog post is not meant to defend, offend, discuss, rehash, or remark about this woman I care about in any way.
This blog post is about you and me.
And those three e-mails.
The first e-mail I received used such hateful remarks, it hurt my head to read it. Seriously, I could have skipped my run for that day because reading that e-mail set my heart racing as much as a good cardio workout. It was dripping with judgement, condemnation, and venomous words like "shameful" and "hate."
Many of those words directed at me and my character.
The second e-mail I received was a 'Christian' call to action. It was strong and slightly demanding that I do something about this situation. You know, rain down a little hell fire and brimstone in an effort to correct the actions of this woman in question. All in Christian 'love,' of course.
The third e-mail was completely different. It still expressed concern and rightly so. However, in complete humility she said she's using this situation as a call to action to examine her own life and as a call to prayer for this woman's life.
She said as she watched this woman being featured on TV, she saw things that bothered her. So, she asked herself some very tough questions about her own life- her own marriage- her own attitude about the importance she places on God- and she found herself falling short.
With great honesty and courage, she set aside her judgements and got down on her knees.
If I could have jumped through cyber-space, I would have thrown my arms around the author of the third e-mail and hugged her.
Seriously, hugged her.
And I'm not even a huggy person.
But I would be today.
Sisters, I do believe with all my heart that there is a place for Christian accountability. I believe it is biblical and necessary. However, making judgemental remarks- rolling our eyes- belittling someone we don't personally know or do life with in the real world- and sending hateful e-mails is not biblical or necessary.
It's sin.
It's totally missing the mark of what God has called his girls to be and to do.
If the actions and attitudes of another person hurt our heart and rub our soul the wrong way, be it a neighbor or a woman on the cover of a tabloid, I pray we handle it with the grace and dignity Jesus enables us to have. "And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment," (Phil. 1:9).
And may we always remember the person in question is loved by God. He may not love their actions and he most certainly doesn't love their sin. But the person, He loves.
They are loved.
She is Loved.
Totally and immensely, unfathomably and remarkably, beautifully and abundantly loved.
And that's all I have to say about that.
The end.
This blog post is about you and me.
And those three e-mails.
The first e-mail I received used such hateful remarks, it hurt my head to read it. Seriously, I could have skipped my run for that day because reading that e-mail set my heart racing as much as a good cardio workout. It was dripping with judgement, condemnation, and venomous words like "shameful" and "hate."
Many of those words directed at me and my character.
The second e-mail I received was a 'Christian' call to action. It was strong and slightly demanding that I do something about this situation. You know, rain down a little hell fire and brimstone in an effort to correct the actions of this woman in question. All in Christian 'love,' of course.
The third e-mail was completely different. It still expressed concern and rightly so. However, in complete humility she said she's using this situation as a call to action to examine her own life and as a call to prayer for this woman's life.
She said as she watched this woman being featured on TV, she saw things that bothered her. So, she asked herself some very tough questions about her own life- her own marriage- her own attitude about the importance she places on God- and she found herself falling short.
With great honesty and courage, she set aside her judgements and got down on her knees.
If I could have jumped through cyber-space, I would have thrown my arms around the author of the third e-mail and hugged her.
Seriously, hugged her.
And I'm not even a huggy person.
But I would be today.
Sisters, I do believe with all my heart that there is a place for Christian accountability. I believe it is biblical and necessary. However, making judgemental remarks- rolling our eyes- belittling someone we don't personally know or do life with in the real world- and sending hateful e-mails is not biblical or necessary.
It's sin.
It's totally missing the mark of what God has called his girls to be and to do.
If the actions and attitudes of another person hurt our heart and rub our soul the wrong way, be it a neighbor or a woman on the cover of a tabloid, I pray we handle it with the grace and dignity Jesus enables us to have. "And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment," (Phil. 1:9).
And may we always remember the person in question is loved by God. He may not love their actions and he most certainly doesn't love their sin. But the person, He loves.
They are loved.
She is Loved.
Totally and immensely, unfathomably and remarkably, beautifully and abundantly loved.
And that's all I have to say about that.
The end.
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