A Call to Love

 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 
If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. -1 Corinthians 13

It's amazing how God uses certain situations to get your attention. And equally amazing how easy it for us to turn our attention away from Christ. I think, with it being halloween and what not, the spiritual warfare that takes place around us becomes more apparent. As of last night, I think I decided I officially very greatly dislike halloween. 

I don't think very many people know how halloween started, thus, I shall enlighten you : The Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago in the area that is now Ireland, the United Kingdom, and northern France, celebrated their new year on November 1. This day marked the end of summer and the harvest and the beginning of the dark, cold winter, a time of year that was often associated with human death. Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. On the night of October 31, they celebrated Samhain, when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth. In addition to causing trouble and damaging crops, Celts thought that the presence of the otherworldly spirits made it easier for the Druids, or Celtic priests, to make predictions about the future. For a people entirely dependent on the volatile natural world, these prophecies were an important source of comfort and direction during the long, dark winter. (History.com) 

So, it is not to go unsaid that there is definite spiritual connotations behind the whole event. 

And I'm not saying that dressing up in costumes and enjoying being someone else for a day is bad. Not at all. But what is it that attracts people to doctor's coats covered in blood, headless bodies, distorted, mangled, gory, disturbing, disfigured costumes and characters. Also, if halloween was just a costume party day.. why so many witches and skeletons?  

It makes me wince. Growing up, I was protected from the halloween spirit and celebration and I am really thankful for that. I think that I am easily frightened. 

But here's the thing..We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. 

      God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. ( 1 John 4:13-18) 

Reading that tells me, that I have no reason to be frightened, yes? Last night I attended a halloween dance party thing. It wasn't something that I had particularly looked forward to attending beforehand and not something that I expected to enjoy, so I really wasn't disappointed in being there. But, I didn't like being there. As I stood surrounded by many different personas and characters, it was fun to see how well people had carefully constructed and pulled off being someone completely other than their usual self. What I didn't like, was how some of my friends had somehow transformed into bloody corpses with demonic faces. :(  I think part of my discouragement in lasts night's event, was that I like security. I like to know that when I attend a Christian event, I will not be frightened. But that's where I had set my expectations in the wrong place. Other this event being hosted by a campus ministry.. there really was no indication or announcement that it would be a Christ-based event. So I'm not really sure why I expected it to be different. It was just people gettin' together, drinking non-alcoholic soda and doing whatever it is you do at a normal halloween party. 

When the first round of dance music with explicit words and lyrics came around, I found myself seeking solitude at the campfire out side and away from the music. Apart from the one other person at the fire who was using profanities up and down the block to describe the fire and his general opinion of life, the fire was really lovely. I could see the stars from where I sat and I really love the smell of fire and the heat it offers when the air is so cold.

As I sat and contemplated why exactly God had it in his plan that I would come here in spite of my knowing that I would not enjoy it. It occurred to me that perhaps God wanted to give me an opportunity to love people no matter what. My tendency when people disappoint me, or hurt me, or make me feel sad, is to cut them off, shut them out, and walk away.  I learned in high school, that this reaction really has disastrous consequences and is possibly one of the worst ways to handle that kind of situation. 

People are not perfect. We all do things that do not glorify God. 

I really didn't like being frightened by some of the costumes at the party. But, there is no fear in love. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 

I would like to say that I love every body all the time. But I don't. And I was more than aware of that fact while I was sitting by the fire. I wasn't really loving the people behind the masks.

It always amazing me when God uses object lessons in real life. I was looking at the masks that the people were wearing, and letting their grotesque images define whether I loved them or not.  But, God calls us to look beyond that masks that people put on and love them for who they are. I don't even know who was behind some of the masks last night. I just know that I saw them, didn't like them, and refused to allow myself to get close to them.. or let them approach me. Some of them were probably a friend of mine... and I imagine they probably didn't really appreciate me ducking away from them. 

So this would be the lesson that God is working in my heart right now: We need God's perfect love to be poured into our imperfect hearts. And there is no room for fear when we are filled with His perfect love. And above all else, we are called to love those around us, no matter what mask they wear, what words come out of their mouth, and what music they choose to listen to. God sees them as precious. God sees US as precious. 

We love because at one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior (Titus 3: 3-6)