P.S. I re-read the letter and I guess I realized that much of it sounded so negative, so I wanted to leave you with a few positive thoughts to inspire you.
You gave leftover pizza to a homeless guy in Chicago
You called a friend who was feeling down.
You visited a loved one in the hospital.
You gave a friendly hello to a stranger today.
You adopted a pet from a rescue shelter.
You started a neighborhood recycling program.
You prayed with a buddy going through a rough time.
You helped sponsor a well in AIDS/HIV affected areas in Africa.
You tithed to your local church.
You prayed for your local and national leaders.
You said no to pornography last night on the internet.
You helped an elderly lady cross the street.
You gave a ride to a coworker.
You repaired a single mother's vehicle.
You babysat for a local mother so she could attend a woman's conference.
You over-tipped your barista when she was having a rough day.
You stopped to chat with an old friend you met who was going through a rough time.
You drove a buddy home after a party so you could talk with him about God.
You said no to the joint passed around at the frat house.
Thank you for living a love like Jesus. I noticed.
18 February 2009
A Letter Hypothetical
Dear Christian,
I hope this letter finds you well since you've been up and down lately. I was reading an e-mail the other day regarding the current administration and I must admit, I was conflicted. At first glance, it would seem that I agree with the author's view of America's moral decline, yet I found myself disagreeing with his statement's attributing blame to the administration. True, President Obama does not and has not shown many inclinations towards congruency with his policy and the Word of God. However, he is but one man, and as such, cannot single-handedly dismantle the moral framework of the country.
That is why I wrote this letter to you. I believe it is your fault. Well, okay, maybe not entirely, but prior generations have contributed as well. You may be thinking, what an outrageous accusation!. I assure you, I have nothing but the best of intentions in writing this letter, not to condemn you, but to come alongside you and encourage you! The end is yet to come; there is still time to change.
I, Loren Wright, accept responsibility for my role in misrepresenting Christ to the world. I ask you now to do the same. How have I misrepresented Christ you ask. The following are some observations I have made over the last several years:
You have condemned homosexuals rather than homosexuality.
You have ignored the poor, calling them lazy, and have betrayed the words of Christ to do unto the "least of these."
Your iron fist of judgment has fallen hard upon abortionists and Planned Parenthood, but you have neglected to educate and assist its potential victims.
Instead of an example of a Christ-centered relationship, you have betrayed the institution of marriage through divorce.
You have desecrated your temple through gluttony and unhealthful lifestyle choices. You have squandered your money and have not tithed faithfully.
You have hated your enemy instead of hating evil.
You have compromised absolute truth in the name of tolerance.
It is small compromises that lead to greater moral decline in the long term. That is why I find myself sitting down to write you this letter.
Christian, I would be lying if I told you I have not done anything mentioned above; I have. I will continue to do these things because I suffer from the Human Condition. It's the oldest disease in the world, the cure for which has the greatest side effect of all: eternal life. His name is Jesus, the Light of the World. It is submitting to this medicine that my life has taken a better turn, and I really feel is the cure-all for loneliness in the world.
I am willing to bet that if you got to know this guy for real, you would find that He is legit. I know what you're thinking: I accepted Jesus back when I was twelve, and He changed my life, and.... Yeah, me too...but life came along and I allowed it to slowly steal my joy. It's replacement was loneliness, and thus began the empty search for a God substitute. I'm not alone. Some find theirs in music. Some find it in drugs. Some in alcohol... It's all familiar, mundane stuff. It can be anything that distracts us from looking at life through the Eternal Perspective.
It really is the way to go. It will change the world. It has changed mine.
Jesus: the change we can believe in.
Sincerely,
Loren Saved by Grace
I hope this letter finds you well since you've been up and down lately. I was reading an e-mail the other day regarding the current administration and I must admit, I was conflicted. At first glance, it would seem that I agree with the author's view of America's moral decline, yet I found myself disagreeing with his statement's attributing blame to the administration. True, President Obama does not and has not shown many inclinations towards congruency with his policy and the Word of God. However, he is but one man, and as such, cannot single-handedly dismantle the moral framework of the country.
That is why I wrote this letter to you. I believe it is your fault. Well, okay, maybe not entirely, but prior generations have contributed as well. You may be thinking, what an outrageous accusation!. I assure you, I have nothing but the best of intentions in writing this letter, not to condemn you, but to come alongside you and encourage you! The end is yet to come; there is still time to change.
I, Loren Wright, accept responsibility for my role in misrepresenting Christ to the world. I ask you now to do the same. How have I misrepresented Christ you ask. The following are some observations I have made over the last several years:
You have condemned homosexuals rather than homosexuality.
You have ignored the poor, calling them lazy, and have betrayed the words of Christ to do unto the "least of these."
Your iron fist of judgment has fallen hard upon abortionists and Planned Parenthood, but you have neglected to educate and assist its potential victims.
Instead of an example of a Christ-centered relationship, you have betrayed the institution of marriage through divorce.
You have desecrated your temple through gluttony and unhealthful lifestyle choices. You have squandered your money and have not tithed faithfully.
You have hated your enemy instead of hating evil.
You have compromised absolute truth in the name of tolerance.
It is small compromises that lead to greater moral decline in the long term. That is why I find myself sitting down to write you this letter.
Christian, I would be lying if I told you I have not done anything mentioned above; I have. I will continue to do these things because I suffer from the Human Condition. It's the oldest disease in the world, the cure for which has the greatest side effect of all: eternal life. His name is Jesus, the Light of the World. It is submitting to this medicine that my life has taken a better turn, and I really feel is the cure-all for loneliness in the world.
I am willing to bet that if you got to know this guy for real, you would find that He is legit. I know what you're thinking: I accepted Jesus back when I was twelve, and He changed my life, and.... Yeah, me too...but life came along and I allowed it to slowly steal my joy. It's replacement was loneliness, and thus began the empty search for a God substitute. I'm not alone. Some find theirs in music. Some find it in drugs. Some in alcohol... It's all familiar, mundane stuff. It can be anything that distracts us from looking at life through the Eternal Perspective.
It really is the way to go. It will change the world. It has changed mine.
Jesus: the change we can believe in.
Sincerely,
Loren Saved by Grace
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