Most of the time when I'm jamming out in my car, I listen to modern Christian artists like For King & Country, Rend Collective, Lecrae, and Switchfoot. During church services, I like singing songs by worship groups like Hillsong United and Bethel Music. But hymns seem to have a power that sweeps a wave of peace and nostalgia over the congregation; breathing truthful words into their lives. It Is Well, How Great Thou Art, Victory in Jesus, and Be Thou My Vision are timeless, beautiful melodies sung with lyrics directly from scripture.
One of my all-time favorite hymns is 'They'll Know We Are Christians By Our Love.' Here are the lyrics:
{We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord,
We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord,
And we pray that all unity may one day be restored.
And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
Yes, they'll know we are Christians by our love.
We will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand,
We will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand,
And together we'll spread the news that God is in our land,
And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
Yes, they'll know we are Christians by our love.
We will work with each other, we will work side by side,
We will work with each other, we will work side by side,
And we'll guard each one's dignity and save each one's pride.
And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
Yes, they'll know we are Christians by our love.
All praise to the Father, from whom all things come,
And all praise to Christ Jesus, his only Son,
And all praise to the Spirit, who makes us one.
And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
Yes, they'll know we are Christians by our love.}
Take a moment to think of words non-believers typically use to describe Christians:
Judgmental. Hypocrite. Goody-two-shoes. Ignorant. Pushy.
Yes, some of these can be accurate at times, but is that really what we want to be known as?
You see, Christians have gained a bad rep -- especially in America. We are known as stuck-up, snotty, church-goers who think we are better than everyone else. How did that happen? How did our image get warped into something so unlike Jesus and His followers into something more like the Pharisees they were trying to witness to in the first place?
The truth is we all mess up and fall short, and that's okay. Jesus saved me once and continues to save me each and every day. Being a Christian in high school, I've noticed it's easier for others to point out my mistakes just because my faith is a big part of my life. They have this idea in their heads that I'm not allowed to mess up or make mistakes. And honestly, it goes both ways. On a day when I've let my guard down and the enemy creeps in, it can be easy to plop myself on a pedestal and point out other people's flaws. But let's take a little trip back to our first grade Sunday School class and see what Jesus' #1 command was while teaching on earth: "Love your neighbor as yourself." Take it a step further and read from the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:43-48 about loving your enemies.
Compassionate. Brave. Faithful. Welcoming. Peaceful. Forgiving. Humble. Loving.
These are the people we have been called to be; no exceptions, no excuses. So how do we make this right and reshape not just our image, but our hearts?
It's simple. Love. Love ALL.
Love the Mennonites, the Methodists, the Nazarenes, the Baptists, the Catholics, the Presbyterians, the Lutherans, the Mormons, the Buddhists, the Hindus, the Agnostics, the Jews, the Muslims and the Atheists.
Love the Mennonites, the Methodists, the Nazarenes, the Baptists, the Catholics, the Presbyterians, the Lutherans, the Mormons, the Buddhists, the Hindus, the Agnostics, the Jews, the Muslims and the Atheists.
Love the Canadians, Koreans, Cubans, Germans, Japanese, Vietnamese, Chinese, Americans, Iranians, Indonesians, Egyptians, Brazilians and Mexicans.
Love the liars, the cheaters, the murderers, the gossips, the robbers, the alcoholics, the drug users, the idolaters, the molesters, the adulterers, the prostitutes, the pornographers, the homosexuals and the divorced.
Love the bitter, the jealous, the angry, the hurting, the lust driven, the selfish, the haters, the bullies and the greedy.
Love the rich, the poor, the fat, the skinny, the tall, the short, the loud, the quiet, the funny, the serious, the ugly, the beautiful, the athletic and the clumsy.
Love the black, the white, the red, the yellow, the brown, and a combination of all of the above.
Love all.
It can be little things like smiling at someone on the street or asking the clerk how their day is going. Carrying someone's groceries to their car or helping that girl who's struggling in your geometry class with her homework. Praying for the unfair boss who laid your brother off and the lunch lady who's husband passed away. Writing your friend an appreciation letter or baking your grandma some cookies. Traveling halfway around the world to hug a child and give them clean water. It can be simply telling someone you love them, but for goodness sakes, do something! Show some love!! Someday, someone will ask why you do all of these nice things and you'll be able to reply, "Jesus."
Let God's love radiate from the depths of your soul and be amazed. Soon, they'll know you by your unconditional love for others. They'll know what we believe and who we represent. They'll know we are Christians by our love.
"By this everyone will know you are my disciples if you love one another." -John 13:35
His Biblical Beauty,
Paige
