And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Colossians 3:14-15
I worked in my flower bed this morning hoping that to catch the shade and a little bit of breeze. The feels like temperatures was already well over 100 degrees. I was soaked in sweat before I hardly stepped off the porch. I hurriedly attacked the rose bushes hoping to cut off some blooms and prune gangly limbs. Before I could react, ants swarmed my legs biting my feet and ankles. What skin they didn’t reach, the mosquitoes got. I grabbed a small bouquet and rushed back into the house and into the shower. Now, I am covered in Benadryl lotion hoping to ease the swelling, itching and burning left from the bites. I talked to a friend this morning who is frustrated with the media’s failure to understand that there are Christians in the LBGT community. I pointed out to him the same goes for the Democratic party. Many people think that if you are Christian, you must be Republican. But, it is not our political party, our sexual orientation, our age, our family background or our skin color that determines our Christianity. It is whether or not we follow Christ. And how does the world know if we are Christians? The apostle John said “it is by our love”. Love is not expressed by what you say, it is shown by what we do. Love comes in small acts and great deeds. It comes from helping to change laws, but it is also demonstrated in collecting the newspaper while our gay neighbors are on vacation. What keeps us from loving? I think the opposite of love is not hate, but fear. We are afraid of losing our position, of being labelled, of being different. But in the verses listed above, Paul says we should “put on” love. That means, we make the choice to set aside our fear and clothe ourselves in love. No matter the consequences. About thirty years ago, when our kids were little, we stopped going to Disney World. It wasn’t because we didn’t like Disney World. It wasn’t because Disney World was too expensive or we didn’t have fun there. It was because our church leaders told us not to go because Disney World supported gay rights. If we went in June there would be “thousands” of gays just waiting for the opportunity to “seduce” our children. So, we stayed home until I realized how stupid that perception was. First of all, my children were more likely to be picked up by sexual predators at the school bus stop than at Disney World. Secondly, I have learned that the LBGT community is seeking the same thing that the heterosexual community is seeking, a loving, monogamous, lasting relationship. They weren’t looking for that from my family as we waited in line to ride Space Mountain! Here’s the deal. Love is like Benadryl. Just like Benadryl eases my itching, love helps me to see truth. But, I have to put it on to make it work.
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