When All Is Said And Done

I know that I am misunderstood by some readers. I also know that it is hopeless to attempt to explain myself through words -- written or spoken. I get grief for purposefully being open to others. The truth is, I am willing to accept anyone and everyone just as they are. I live my life as close as I possibly can to the example of Christ for the simple reason that he told us it is a good way to live. It is The Way. There are others who have gone before me that exude his goodness and his genuine love for All, and I try to follow their example too.

I am not into apologetics, yet I find myself actually bothered that some so-called Christians find fault with me because of my openness. Let's be frank: I am who I am. You are free to think of me as you wish. Just be honest: If you are saying ugly things about me, you don't know me.

I make mistakes every day. I am so far from perfect that I don't seek after it. I seek to be a peacemaker, and by my witness I hope to share with you what Christ means to me. If you are Buddhist, Muslim, Jew, or Pagan; I love you. I accept your beliefs. I accept your wisdom. I accept you. I want you to know the Christ that lifted me from my blind state of judgement, found me faultless, and dusted me off, patted me on the back and said, "Keep doing just what you're doing. I like the fact that you think enough of me to try and emulate My Way."

I sleep just fine at night with this way of thinking. I converse with him daily to ensure I am still on my path. Some of you Christians who read these words and assume I am something strange, or even worse, someone who is beneath you; I love you too.

I love you.

I have prayed that those of you with the most awful ideas about me, who spread lies and innuendo to any who will listen, will bump into me somewhere in public. I pray that we will lock eyes. I pray that you will not hate me -- even though you profess to be a follower of Christ, you know you hate me :) Yet, I sincerely want peace for you. You can't rob me of mine because my peace is beyond your ability to understand. Most days it is beyond my understanding too. I would give a body part to have a discussion about how we differ, if in fact we do.

When all is said and done and I stand before my Maker, I will know without doubt that I did the best I could to love, accept, embrace, and relate to All. It is not my place to judge anyone ever. I adhere to that just like Jesus said I should. I want to be understood, but I accept the fact that some people are intimidated by a person that can't condemn another to hellfire and eternal damnation just because they see things differently than I do.

Here's a visual for those of you that are cringing as you read this:

Imagine every living being alive today joined together, hand in hand, encircling God. Clearly we are only able to see God from where we are, yet we still see God. If my perspective is different as a result of where I am as I look, yet I love what I see and recognize through my understanding that it is God, how can I judge you and say you don't know God? Why would I take it further and believe that since you don't see him/her (God has no genitalia) the way I do, you're wrong? Did God tell you that?

Think. About. It.

Every time we unfairly decide for another person that our way is better than theirs without first considering their perspective, we spit on God's plan for the world he created. He never wanted us to hate another for any reason, yet we do it anyway. Remember:

There is no them.

There is no them except in your mind. That is not the Mind of Christ my friend, and you know it! If you've ever been one of them-- as I am to some of you -- you would never want to inflict such unfair judgement again. If Jesus is God, and even if you believe that God killed everyone that he didn't like (including pregnant women and children) in his wrath, did he just change his mind when he appeared on earth as the savior of the Jews? Why and how did Christ forgive his murderers while they were in the act of killing him? Is God unchanging yet he won't forgive anyone for their sins except when they are killing the kindest, most accepting person on earth? You tell me. You have all the answers; right? Your God of wrath is also just in your mind. God is Love. PERIOD! I like to think that I am a willing participant in what God is doing in his world. And loving All is part of it.

LUVWRX.

Try it out on those you H8 today, and see if you don't feel better about yourself.

Peace. -- jb