I find myself so confused and angry with the world for their blanket view of Christians. Almost as angry as I am with the "Christians" who give us the bad name. Surely by now you have heard about the father of a fallen marine who is suing over the protests at his son's funeral. I was reading an article about it today, because I didn't know the details, and this paragraph jumped off the screen and punched me in the gut:
"Hundreds of grieving families have been targeted by the Westboro Baptist Church, which believes military deaths are the work of a wrathful God who punishes the United States for tolerating homosexuality."
I don't get it. I truly cannot understand what would drive someone who wears the name of Christ to behave this way. But apparently this mindset is a family tradition:
"Pastor Fred Phelps oversees a congregation of 70 to 80 members — mostly his children and grandchildren. They consider themselves prophets, and they insist the nation is doomed."
It hurts my heart to see these things. I have felt such strong bitterness towards "the world" for their view on Christians, but how can I not understand their perspective? If this is what they see in the media, on their street corners, online - how can they NOT perceive us wrong? How are we ever supposed to show the nature of Christ - a beacon of never-ending, undeserved love - if everyone has learned to cover their eyes and ears?
I ask that you join me in praying for these poor people. I pray that God reach into the hearts of these... misguided people and soften them. I pray that this father and his family can find God's grace and love from other outlets, and that they not be poisoned by this experience. And I pray that hateful people stop wearing the cross as they beat others with it. I'm sick of cringing at Christians in the media...
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