The Light of Love, not Finger Pointing

If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.  --Isaiah 58:9b-10

Fellow Christians, I want to remind you of a great truth.  We have seen Jesus!  The Son of God Himself was made manifest to us, and we responded humbly and gratefully.  We knew His mercy, and were prompted to act.  "If we confess our sins," wrote the disciple whom Jesus loved, "He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9).

We were not drawn to Christ by facing a list of our sins and trespasses.  We were drawn to Christ because of His great love for us.  "Behold what manner of love the Father has given unto us that we should be called the Sons of God." (1 John 3:1).  Romans 5:8 says,

1. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us!

Brothers and Sister, hear me.  If this is true (and it is), then why in the name of sense do we point the finger at people because of things they do?  We love to lump people together and label them all with a broad brush.  

There is a trend on the internet that speaks to this problem.  It is called "animal shaming."  A family pet, usually a dog, is told to sit while a sign is hung around its neck and a picture is taken.  Usually the sign says something like, "I stole a half pound of block Parmesan cheese off the counter and ate it.  No pizza for me!"  The dog looks confused, and the people who see the photo laugh at the joke.  

"Shaming" has been tried on cats, too, but they always look bored in the photo, like they don't care.  And that's just the point.  The pets are not truly "shamed" by this.  It's not like they can read the signs hung around their necks.

Unfortunately, this has escalated to children.  There have been photos posted online of small children, middle schoolers, and even older teens who have been made to hold a sign listing their offenses while the parent takes their picture and posts it online.  I read a story this week about a 14 year old boy who committed suicide after being "shamed" like this on the internet.

Have these parents never done anything stupid when they were kids?  We know they have.  They probably got away with worse things than what they are shaming their kids for.  "All have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23).  Matthew 7:1-5 says

Do not judge, or you too will be judged.  For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the same measure you use, it will be measured to you.  Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?  How can you say to your brother, "Let me take the speck out of your eye," when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?  You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.

Is this the way we try to evangelize the world, by pointing out their faults?  If so, it is little wonder, then, that we are failing to reach this generation for Christ.  We must first show them Jesus, then disciple them to become more like Him.  Unfortunately, many of us become very legalistic, saying that people are going to hell because they're gay, or because they are transgender, or because they engage in pornography.  News flash: people go to hell because they reject Jesus and His love.  We are all sinners--even those who don't engage in lewd, lascivious behavior; in the Greek,  πόρνη (pornē).

Does that mean that I support the sins that people get engaged in?  Not at all.  But people aren't shamed into heaven.  They aren't wooed by the spirit of legalism.  Legalism sets up stumbling blocks. We are called to be a light in the darkness, but so many times we set up stumbling blocks that cast big shadows, hiding the light of Truth.  We are called to be the salt of the earth, but instead of seasoning and preserving the Faith, we mount an assault against evil deeds.  We may be well-meaning, but we fall into the same trap of shaming.

We must remember that legalism does not get people into the Kingdom of God.  Jesus showed us that the path to God is paved with love.  We just need to show them Jesus, and let them respond by faith.  One of the most memorable lines from any movie was the line from A Few Good Men where Jack Nicholson shouts, "You can't handle the truth!"  Nobody can.

The only sinless man was Jesus. Yet He was called the Friend of Sinners.  Being their friend does not condone the sin.  It does, however, make the Truth easier to face.  Paul wrote this to the Ephesian church:

Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Him who is the Head, that is, Christ.  From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.  So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking.  They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.  Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.  You, however, did not come to know Christ that way.  Surely you heard of Him and were taught in Him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus.  You were taught, with regard to your former life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.  Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. --Ephesians 4:15-25

Truth.  Love.  Be righteous and holy.  Shine His light into a world of darkness.  "So that the world may know."