Would you rather…?
There’s a road trip game my husband likes to play with the kids called “would you rather?” He poses questions like “would you rather go to Hawaii or Australia?” “ Would you rather travel by bus or train?” and questions like that. It’s a great way to keep kids occupied when they’re out of movies and you’re in the middle of nowhere south Alabama still an hour plus from the beach. The expectation in this game is that you choose between one option or the other. My kids hate playing this game with me (as in most games), because I always say, I”ll take secret option #3. Very loudly, the backseat will roar with “ THAT’S NOT HOW YOU PLAY!” Of course, it’s how you play. There is always a secret option #3.
Often we seem to play a game of “would you rather?” with the Bible. We often read the “ands” as “ors”.
Psalm 23: 6 “Surely goodness and mercy…”
John 1:4 “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus.”
1 John 3:18 “Little children, we must not love with word or speech, but with truth and action.”
Would you rather be known for truth or grace? Would you rather be known for goodness or mercy? Would you rather have truth or action? Both. The answer is both. As believers, we are to always see the “and” then do the “and”. I am called to have grace and truth. I am called to not only speak truth but I am also called to action. The Bible is full of ands. Standing for truth doesn’t exempt you from showing love. Showing love isn’t the absence of truth.
Recently, I was tired of the overwhelming hate for people being spewed all over my social media wall in the name of Christianity. The politics of the U.S. have so entangled themselves in to Christianity that it is becoming challenging to see where one’s patriotism ends and religious beliefs begin. Immediately, my friends took sides. Most were up in arms one way or the other. Blasting me for appearing to lack any understanding of Biblical truth or willingness to stand for it. The other wholeheartedly agreeing that what we need is love! Polarizing “or” statements are what they appeared to be. We are so quick to play “would you rather” than sit for a minute and think, that politician is made in the image of God. That womanizer is made in the image of God. That greedy person is made in the image of God. God’s truth never changes. God’s love for humanity never changes. God’s love is overwhelming for even the worst hypocritical pharisee out there. I want to show the world the “ands” of Christianity. Instead of the focus being on politics this week, how much more would we have benefited if all of Evangelical Christianity had been focused in unity with our brothers and sisters in Redding, CA, praying for God to show up and for Jesus to be the Resurrection and the Life, and breathe life into the baby. God doesn’t care about a presidential impeachment, but he does care about building our faith.
I have been called to spread Biblical truth with love and care and compassion, and even grace. I want nothing more than the world to know that God loves them, died for them, has called them by name and wants them to walk out of their sin and into the abundant life he has for them. However, I can’t do that if I’m so caught in a world of “ors” in a game of “Would you rather?” I must sit in a place of “and”. Where we see only 2 options, God holds secret option #3.
