One of the
first lessons I learned as a child was unconditional love & acceptance. My
father spoke volumes about that topic as I was growing up. I think it was more
of him affirming his own belief system when I made mistakes as a kid – normal mistakes
any teenager makes, but challenges nonetheless.
I continued
to be affirmed by my father as I grew into young adulthood and established my
own identity. Then, as a parent I continued that tradition as best I could with
five foster children who definitely challenged the status quo. Now, having
adopted a special needs child I am challenged daily to remember that unconditional
love & acceptance when things don’t go so right.
I am
wondering how this concept filters into the church. I believe that this originated
from God – God loved Israel in spite of Israel’s challenging behaviors. God
punished Israel for poor decisions, but ultimately brought Israel back into the
fold and fulfilled God’s promises that originated when God brought Israel out
of captivity in Egypt.As for Jesus
Christ, it seems to me that Jesus’ whole ministry was devoted to demonstrating
this unconditional love to all that Jesus encountered.
For the local
church, unconditional love and acceptance is critical to both fulfilling the
mission of the church and church growth. I believe that by shutting sections of
society out of the church whether covertly or overtly we shun certain cultures
and prevent them from engaging wholly in the life of the church.
Many would
automatically assume I am referring to the LGBTQ community considering the huge
focus on this culture in the church today. While I believe that this community needs to experience God's love and grace through the church and the Christian community, we need to
reflect on others who are prevented from being part of our communities of
faith.
I remember
attending a local church several years ago here in Surprise. A man had shown up
to church, drinking a beer in the parking lot. There were many who were very
upset that anyone would have the nerve to show up to church and drink alcohol
on church property. I remember the love that the pastor shared both with the
church and ultimately with this man. His response was “Well, at least he showed
up to church.”
Another
community which needs our love & acceptance is the disability community. When
reflecting on the needs of people affected by autism or Down’s syndrome, I see
an opportunity for us to develop resources and ministries to help those
impacted to engage in the church at a level which both meets their needs and
develops their faith, helping them learn that God loves them.
As I was preparing to celebrate New Year's Eve with my family, I saw a Google commercial celebrating many of the significant events that touched the world during 2013. One of them was a story in which the pope embraced a heavily disfigured man. You can read his story at J Johnson's blog. I am touched by the story which shared
"During a stroll among many people in St. Peter’s Square on Wednesday, the pontiff personally visited a severely disfigured man among the crowd. Pope Francis prayed with the man and comforted him as he cried."
Ultimately,
we need to reflect on the love of Christ and be the hands and feet of Jesus to
a world which is broken and needs our love. That love must be unconditional as
it is not our job to judge others but to help them grow in their faith. By expressing
this unconditional love & acceptance, we will grow the church and our
faith.
