Choosing Compassion Over Contention

Straight to the Point: Responses of Compassion, not Contention, lead to Conversion

   My friend and I recently had a conversation with a young man who stated he was once an agnostic, who later, after becoming tired of explaining what that meant to many who questioned it, became a self-proclaimed atheist. And in addition to the shock of the fact that life had brought me to this conversation with this young man in the first place, I was more caught off guard with what he began to ask us. 

   He began to ask questions about this God I talk about, profess, and have faithfully followed since a young child. More quickly than I could answer one question he spouted another, and another, and another. He asked the questions many of us have heard, but oftentimes struggle to answer through our own pondering. He asked, "If God is love why do bad things happen to good people?" He asked, "How can we see God and how can we hear God?" Citing painful memories of rejection from the past, he asked, "How can we know God as love?" And here I stood in this moment, inundated with questions as my mind raced to find the right answer. It felt as though I was undergoing an indictment of my faith.

   As my mind rushed from question to question, I knew I could rely on my theological understanding and exploit my knowledge acquired from biblical study to explain away his every question. I thought to myself surely I can overcome his agnostic, atheistic thinking and show my faith can provide all the answers. His indictment of my faith didn't stand a chance. I was prepared to respond in contention and I was going to win. But then came that still small voice that has saved me from my own self-destruction and the potential hurt of another so many times before...

   The grace of God found me in this moment on behalf of this young man. This wasn't an indictment of my faith, but rather an inquisition of it. This moment had nothing to do with me, but all to do with a loving God seeking to encounter a young man seeking him out (whether he knew he was or not). 

   I went on in this moment of introspection to be reminded of the time in the Bible that Jesus had gone off to be alone, but a crowd sought him out. And where I would have tended to have been annoyed by these crowds when all I wanted to do was be alone, Jesus responds in such a significant, inspiring way. In this moment, Jesus was moved with compassion and healed them.

   So here I was prepared to respond in contention, but that still small voice came to remind me I am called to respond with compassion. Contention responds out of a prideful mind, but compassion responds out of a humble heart. Contention seeks to put people down, where compassion seeks to lift people up. 

   As this light bulb of understanding went off in my own heart, my attitude shifted, and I sought to be a source of illumination to this questioning young man. And as my friend and I continued the conversation, he became less skeptical and more open to what we had to say. I admitted that I don't have all the answers, but that is part of the reason I seek God more and more each day. He thanked me and my friend for hearing him out and talking with him. He stated so many people he has questioned about God and their belief in Him quickly dismiss him and, in a way, shame him for even asking the questions in the first place. And as he said that I realized I was almost amongst the company of the "so many" had I responded in condescension. 

   So take it from me and my recent experience and choose compassion over contention. The more I look at the life and ministry of Jesus, which I am called to emulate, the more I realize how characterized it was by responses of compassion. And responses of compassion, not contention, lead to conversions. And perhaps in my life, a simple response of compassion is going to see the conversion from an agnostic/atheist to an adamant believer who has come to know the love and healing of a God who relentlessly loves him.

Graduation...Let Go, Let God, and Let's Celebrate

    This month my life will be filled with a series of ceremonies and celebrations centered around people close to me participating in a major rite of passage in their life – graduation. I will watch students of various levels of schooling from pre-school to college as they gather in an auditorium, gymnasium, or on an athletic field of sorts to memorialize their respective levels of academic achievements. Some will be able to cite their A,B,C’s and count by 10's, while others will be equipped to present a dissertation on key aspects of their focused area of study. But regardless of the level of graduation, common persons will be in attendance. I like to call them the graduation trio. You'll have the proud and oftentimes emotional parents and family, the supporting friends, and, of course, the excited graduate. And each within this trio will be united under one stage in life - letting go.

    Now hopefully when I say the phrase “letting go” you are not immediately overwhelmed by a sense of sadness. Because I believe letting go in this regard is not a point of sadness, but a point of celebration. I believe this practical moment in life is a picture of a spiritual reality at work. The proud parents and family might look back with tear-filled eyes and remember the students first steps, first day of school and be reminded of how many firsts they overcame together. The supporting friend might look back and reminisce of all the memories they have made and be reminded of how many things they experienced together. And the graduate might look back and remember all they have accomplished and be reminded of the roles their parents, family and friends played along the way. But nevertheless, it's graduation time and it's time for the graduation trio to start letting go.

    The child once held in your arms or the friend once high-fiving you in the hall is now the graduate waving goodbye to the way things have been as they move on to their next adventure. And even though things may not be like they were in the past, it was that very past that prepared the parents, family, friends and graduate alike for this moment in time - this time of letting go.

    In view of the practical academic experience, it's easier letting the kindergartener go to first grade, the high schooler go to college, and the college student go into the "real world" when you know the past exams have prepared them with a new level of understanding to take on their next assignment. Likewise, in view of the emotional, and if I may, spiritual experience at play, the parent can let go of the child once held in their arms, the friend can let go of the friend once high-fiving them in the hall, and the graduate can let go of the days that once were when they all realize that God has been using their past as an education and preparation for a new level of understanding for their next adventure. 

    As I said before, letting go is a point of celebration. It’s a celebration of maturity to handle a new day. And in that maturity there is peace in letting go. However, letting go is just the beginning for the graduation trio. The second step is letting God. Just as scholastic understanding got them to today and will guide them to tomorrow, the practical and spiritual understanding developed in the life of the graduate through parents, family, friends and God has made them who they are today and has prepared them for who they are called to be tomorrow.

    Leading up to this moment God has showed himself faithful. His faithfulness was shown through the arms that once held the child. His faithfulness was shown through the friend who was always there through thick and through thin. His faithfulness was shown in the love and grace He surrounded the graduate with to bring them to this day. As we begin letting go and letting God we allow His past faithfulness to be the preparation for future promises. A friend of mine said it best when they spoke about sending their daughter off to college in saying, "There is a peace and celebration that comes in letting go when you are letting them go into the will of God." So to the graduation trio, let go, let God and let's celebrate!

Intro to "Straight To The Point"

Straight To The Point is a blog on mission to cut away the fluff of life in order to help others to live a life dedicated to making God the point.

   Nowadays, my generation doesn't require much fluff when it comes to writings, posts, thoughts, ideas, etc. In fact, much of social media even provides character limits on postings which is only encouraging the short and succinct messages this generation comes to expect in 140 characters or less. In texting, "LOL" has come to replace the phrase "laugh out loud". In business, a 2-minute elevator pitch is preferred to a 20-plus page business plan. In church, the essential truth is coveted as opposed to a long-winded sermon. All this supports the idea that this generation, on a level like none before, simply wants to get straight to the point. And that's how this blog seeks to communicate.

    Like my first statement above, each blog will begin with a simple sentence to get straight to the point of what will be communicated. And in the few paragraphs that will follow in each blog I will offer some personal stories, new ideas, basic support and possible questions to consider as I seek to cut away the fluff of life in order to inspire, encourage, and sometimes even challenge this generation, who is driven to get to the point, to live a life dedicated to making God the point.

 Check back regularly for new blog postings.

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