Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Newsworthy

This weekend was a news-doozy, was it not? First, we couldn't take our eyes off the Royal Wedding. For a "commoner", the entire event was fascinating. What woman doesn't want to believe in real fairy tales and watch the Prince and Princess get married? I mean come on...a horse-drawn carriage, an eight-foot train, a Royal tiara gifted from the Queen? It really was dreamy. And then just as quickly as we could all catch our breath, breaking news: Osama Bin Laden is dead. I was literally watching Royal Wedding coverage (still!) when CNN broke the news.

Many of us experienced the same wave of emotions -- we went from day dreaming to nightmares. We were just getting used to all the wedding details, becoming so familiar with the affair we almost thought we attended the wedding, to trying to imagine the corpse of Bin Laden. What a spectacle. I'm trying to sort out everything I'm feeling today and realize that some are celebrating the death of an "enemy" while others are praising "royalty." All the cheering and excitement about Bin Laden's death makes me slightly uncomfortable. And here is the dichotomy: unless Prince William and Kate know Jesus personally, they are just as much an enemy to God as Bin Laden was. Yikes! I hate to say it, but wouldn't you agree?

I found some truth 1 John 3 that put my spinning mind back into perspective:

13 Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death. 15 Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him. 16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth... 23 And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. 24 The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us. 

Not matter where we put someone on the spectrum of Royalty vs. Enemy, only one thing will save our lives...the love of Jesus. I feel like I got caught up in the world this weekend with all that was going on -- I got a bit distracted with the headlines. But John's letter directed me to a response to all this confusion that I pray I will implement way down deep in my heart: 

1) "This is how we know what love is: Jesus laid down his life for us." Thank you, Lord.
2) "And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sister." Yes. No matter how grand the crown or dirty the rifle.
3) "Let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth..." No commentary needed for this one.
4) "And this is the command...to love one another." I'm sensing a theme here.

I'm still digesting -- it's hard to wrap our minds around what is happening in the world today and know how to respond as a Christian. I want to believe in fairy tales -- what joy the world felt the day William and Kate got married. And I want to find comfort in knowing the bad guys are being caught -- many expressed a sense of relief knowing Bin Laden is gone. But the world is looking to us to help make sense of such highs and lows...and when they do, "Let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth..."

Are you with me?

Filled with Love,
Simone

2 comments:

  1. Nice post, Simone!

    I totally experienced this roller coaster. I did have two thoughts that might add to the processing of the matter:

    Why were we so captivated by the royal wedding? Fairy tales yet, but also I think God wired us this way. Aren't we as Christians yearning for the ultimate royal wedding of the Marriage Supper of the Lamb? Christ the ultimate rider on the white horse, and us his bride in the most gorgeous gown of all, Christ's righteousness! While watching the formal wedding and hearing them read from Romans 12, I thought of us actually participating in this wedding of all weddings :)

    And then for Osama - how merciful the LORD is to give justice, in a sense, in our lifetime. Sad that he did not turn to Christ, but the families of 9/11 were given a bit of closure to the tragedy, and for that I thank the LORD for his timing, which is perfect.

    Thanks for all you do Simone!

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  2. Ams, so well said, thank you! I wrote this Monday morning and am STILL processing after two more days of news watching and Bible studying. I can't put 1 John down now since there is such insight on the world, God's love, and light vs. darkness. I'm particularly fascinated on the Osama story since it seems like God HAD to be involved in order for the whole thing to have gone down the way it did. As for the wedding, I think you're dead on -- we do long for our ultimate Royal wedding with our Bride...white horse and all. Love you :)

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