Here we go...

So, I've started the journey. I'm expecting this to be the most difficult thing I'll ever do - and I know it will be the most fulfilling. I've decided to blog for a number of reasons. I've always been better at expressing my thoughts and feelings through written words, as opposed to spoken. This will be a way for me keep track of my thoughts and to document this journey that I've set out on, and it will also give others the opportunity to follow along... or perhaps there may even be some brave person out there who wants to take this journey with me (If that's you, then please E-mail me or shoot me a message on facebook so we can do this thing together).

What's this journey all about? To sum this gig up:

Jesus, love, and people.

My vision is of a world that knows the love of Jesus and understands that love (What is love, anyway? I'll get to that later...) is more powerful than every military, smart-bomb (ironic name, isn't it?), and stockpile of nuclear weapons... combined.

My short term vision is for me to learn to love Jesus with my life. In order to do that, I believe that I must learn to love people - even (and especially) people who seem unlovable - on a deeper level than I ever have before. Over the years, I've found that it's incredibly easy to love people who are popular, good looking, nice, and who "have it all together".


What about those who don't encompass any of those traits?

What about the homeless guy on the side of the road who doesn't appear to have showered in weeks - maybe longer, has an untrimmed beard, and looks "scary"?

What about the person(s) who we see on a daily or weekly basis whose greatest joy is making others feel worthless (perhaps a candid view of how that person feels inside)?

What about that family member who seems to never be able to do anything right?

What about that teacher, classmate, or co-worker whose personality really just grinds your gears?

What about people who aren't Americans, who look different than us, who speak a different language, or even follow a different religion?

Do we even have to love all of THOSE people? ("What do you mean 'you people'?" - great quote from a funny movie)

Absolutely.Jesus makes it clear to us to us that we are to love God with everything we have, AND we are to love our neighbor as ourselves... and for some of us, that's A LOT of love :)

So... Who is our neighbor? According to Scripture - it's everyone (Luke 10:25-37). That's tough... for a number of reasons. It's tough because if Jesus was serious, and if He really meant what He said... then we are to love everyone. This includes people from different countries and continents... Africa, England, France, Iraq, Afghanistan... It means that we are to love people that are nice to us as well as people who persecute us. It means that we are to love the people in the Church, and we are to love convicted felons.

Loving someone requires a decision to be made to love that person in what ever way they may need and in what ever way is best for them. Maybe that means making a decision to smile at someone who people rarely find a reason to smile at. Perhaps that means making a decision to hug someone who needs a hug. Maybe it's a phone call to let someone know we are thinking about them and praying for them. Maybe it's making a decision to stop holding a grudge, and to admit our own fault and try to reconcile a relationship.


The love of Jesus knows no boundaries. It is not confined to national borders, bloodlines, skin colors, or theologies - Praise God!

Jesus died for you and I because He loves us. He died for Osama Bin Laden, Sadaam Hussein, every member of the Taliban and Al Qaeda and every prisoner on death row convicted of murder... Because He loves them too. We are all redeemable by the blood of the Lamb.

Wow.


Challenge for this week: Find someone, somewhere (school, work, church, side of the road, etc...), who doesn't seem "lovable"... and love them.