Kindness to the ungrateful and wicked

Warning: Confused and heretical rant ahead.

There is a text I have been struggling with the last couple days. It comes from the Bible, the book of Luke, chapter 6 verses 35 and 36. It says:

“But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”

I am okay up through the first sentence, it is logical to me; love your enemies, do good to them, but don’t expect anything in return. I can handle that. I have people I am not a fan of, but I can be polite - okay, I guess that is not loving them, I still have work to do, but I GET it. You want to know why? Because in the book of Psalms I hear David talking about a God that will take revenge for him. We don’t need to seek that for ourselves. God is a righteous God that will make sure justice is served in the end.

But then I read on. I get to the part that says God is “kind to the ungrateful and wicked.” What? I mean, if I really think about it, I am thankful for a God like this. I want to serve a God that is kind and merciful – but if I am completely honest with you, sometimes I don’t think it is fair that God is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.

I can’t help but think about some of the pimps of the women that I work with. Some of them are the personification of EVIL here on earth. The things they have done to these girls are unimaginable. How am I to be merciful as God is merciful to these individuals when all I feel is anger and rage in my heart for how they have treated another human being?

What about traffickers? What about those who force children into war? What about those who are slave holders? What about corrupt governmental officials that do nothing about all of this? What about these people – WHY is God showing his kindness and mercy to them? ESPECIALLY when they are ungrateful and unwilling to receive it?

I guess, bottom line, I’m a fan of a God that wants (and does) save everyone; a God that is about grace. But I am sure glad that when he gives us texts like the ones above…the kindness and mercy to others is not reliant on my actions. Because I most often lack the ability to love those whom I believe are wicked. I have a hard time overlooking my concern that they experience justice in the end.

Some thought-provoking images

I was reading through some other blogs today and came across some rather interesting images that made me pause. I do not know this blogger, but I believe many of you who read this blog do - so perhaps you have seen them already, but if not, take pause and reflect. The original images were found HERE.

Recovering Evangelical

I have a friend, Chris, and he's amazing. You may have caught him on Fox News? Oh...you missed it? Never fear, I have a copy of it for you right here:



Chris has a gift of being able to articulately communicate what so many from my generation (and I believe even the generations above me) are feeling but don't know how to express.

I voted for Obama in this last election - and took A LOT of grief for it. Those I took the most grief from were persons who unabashedly admitted they were two-issue voters. For them moral values didn't stem much further (at least when it came to election) than abortion and gay marriage. I just wasn't satisfied with that. Although to many who have known me for my whole life I might be seen as swinging way to the left, becoming liberal or letting go of my roots - I see it as expanding my perspective of what it truly means to follow Christ. As Chris so delicately put it:

"We are pro life, but for us that definition is far broader than abortion. It includes poverty, AIDS, human trafficking and the war in Iraq."

I encourage you to check out the new website he created - the virtual community of those he has titled "Recovering Evangelicals." Those who are tired of the old ways of traditionally viewing things and are looking for a new standard and a broader scope of what it might mean to be a missional follower of Christ. Come check it out and join in the conversation!

A laughingstock

"Mom, we're a laughingstock. We die a laughingstock."
-- Allan Nerutanga, as he died in Zimbabwe's cholera outbreak, grieving that he would never rescue his parents from poverty.

Please read these thoughtful words written by my roommate on the above quote.

What do we do in the face of something so huge...and yet so manageable? How do we restore those with a marred identity and loss of dignity, bring about change and empower the sick?

Artistic consciousness

I love meeting new people. It would take me too long to explain to you how the following person and I ended up crossing paths, but we did, and for that I am thankful. Mr. J. Medeiros is one cool guy. Although I would not call myself a “rap girl” (please, have you seen how WHITE I am?) I do have an appreciation for all different kinds of music, and even more than that, an appreciation for those seeking to express themselves artistically. Mr J does that in an incredible way.

I always appreciate it when I hear singers whose lyrics are not afraid to tackle the hard truths and realities in life – this is true of Mr. J. One song in particular will really strike you when you are at his concert or listening to his album. It is not new, it’s been around for a while – but I just heard it for the first time Thursday night.

“Constance” is a story about a girl in the Philippines victimized by Human Trafficking. The video of it below was created by Sam Sanchez of Stick Productions in 2006. It has spread like wildfire via YouTube and has inspired an international human rights movement called the “Constance Campaign.” Mr. J spearheaded the movement, and has partnered with non-profits like xxxchurch.com, and humantrafficking.org. In May 2007, “Constance” was featured on CBS Evening News in a expose’ on internet pornography.



Here are the lyrics...

1st verse:
An old man vacationing, he stands patiently
under a hotel sign that blinks vacancy
he's thinking maybe he's to late to make the drop off
till a truck coming his way breaks and stops short
and now he's out of sorts and you can see he's sorta nervous
walking to the passenger door to meet his ordered service
this is someones daughter working, blames his conscience
when the driver says "she's my youngest, her name is Constance"
he comments "and its only 6 dollars per visit
just dont leave any marks on her, it hurts business"
thought for a minute and he confessed "that's fair"
since it was three dollars less then his cab fair
"how old are you honey?" she says "im thirteen"
her nose was runny, its raining in the Philippines
he handed over the money in a chilling scene
the truck drives off and now he's on the hunt to kill her dreams
the sign reads no vacancy, he leads Constance to a room
he has rented for taping see,
he's about to turn six into six thousand
and all you have to do is click on your web browser
its not illegal to use raping as a cash crop
as long as it says she's 18 on your laptop
the sound of rain is her backdrop laying there
like she's waiting for somebody to say they care
while the tears of God fall down the window pain
she feels unholy like her Father doesnt know her name
Mary Magdalene and the Woman At The Well
He knows everything that happened and in His arms she fell.

hook:
repeat x2
in his arms she fell
will you stay with me

2nd verse:
He's 21 and all alone in his household
he's tempted by the quiet he feels and the mouse he holds
the silence of his spouse is cold
so he's about to help that man get his six thousand gold
one click and now she's sold
withholding his conscience scrolling through the comments
there she is looking confident a picture of Constance
in a series of video clips, "adult content"
the title blinks in bold letters like the vacancy sign
its his time to go get her
its like his mind doesnt know better
her soul is crying out "let me go" but he wont let her
he got her trapped inside his media player
held captive by his need to replay her
its a matter of he being here and she being there
that's why he doesnt feel the need to care
guilt is in the seed he bares
spilling his shares of the profit
on a 500 million dollar market
where children are regarded as product
and traded like stock tips
and raped for the sake of our pockets
his lap top sits like a window into Constance room
where he exits coz its almost noon
and he's expecting his wife home soon
with new clothes for the baby
she'd be angry if she saw his new lady
a thirteen year old Filipino named Constance
trust me girl God has not forgotten
He knew Mary Magdalene and the Woman at the Well
He knows everything that happened and in His arms she fell

hook:
repeat x2
in his arms she fell
will you stay with me