“Created To Be Hated”

I pulled up behind a black sports car with tinted windows at a stop light only to read this sticker in his back window.

I don’t know why I’m even shocked at a negative bumper sticker, or anything else, for that matter.  So much of our culture defines itself in the negative:  “Hate the haters,” “Don’t hate me cause you ain’t me.”

As Christians surrounded and immersed in this atmosphere, it is difficult not to join in…  share with the world only that which we hate, don’t believe in, or shun.  Forgetting the old song “They Will Know We are Christians by Our Love.”

Yet, even if we share ourselves in positive terms, the prejudice and intolerance of the world is not comfortable in the light of God’s love.  Christ warns us, “If the world hates you, keep in mind it hated me first.” John 15:18.

I don’t believe Christ used a negative statement to create a divide, but to show us love and encourage us to be merciful and gracious with a world of sinners that do not know or understand the unconditional love of Christ.

Not one of us was created to be hated; only once sin entered in did we become hated.  Only in choosing to walk with Christ am I willing to be hated in order that I might learn to love those who hate me.

Passive or Active?

Why is it easier to spend three hours on Facebook then to schedule and enjoy an hour with a friend over coffee or whatever?

My husband likes to say that no one calls him, it’s always him making the call so he gives up. “Dee” says when she wants to go out with a friend, they are always busy.  "Tom" says he gets invited to bars and doesn’t want to hang out at places like that.  I’ve used a few of these, myself, in the old days.

Life is busy, schedules don’t always match and sometimes kids and crisis cause us to fail to reach out for a stretch of time.  There is no sin in these.  Why do you think Facebook took off so well in the first place?

Passive interaction takes a lot less commitment, time and responsibility than an active relationship.  No one sees my dirty kitchen or living room online.

I mean, Jesus never used networking, yet I am learning from His example more every time I read about it.

He sought, even if it meant leaving home, work, even convenience.  He offered, He didn’t beg and if something was drawing the other person away, He let them go.  He made Himself available. In Luke 8:45, Jesus stopped on the way to His planned appointment to address a  divine one.

Christ has made me more sensitive.  As a missionary, there’s responsibilities I owe to my supporters, my volunteers, my teams, my boss and those I serve.  Add to that serving my family and my church as part of their prayer team and hosting a small group in my home.

I understand wanting to sit on the couch & veg. I also know the echo of feeling unseen, unknown, or just misunderstood.  The desire for a friend and then the reality of my schedule.

I came up with a name for it: Chaos Management.  I start the day with prayer and a plan.  If I get it even half done, that’s success.  Additionally, if I get none of it done, but fulfilled a divine appointment, that’s success.

Christ has used ministry in my life to teach me the value and worth of living in the moment.  Continual prayer for each next task or person that God brings to me, or to my mind.  Serving Him actively makes me available and interruptible, more by far, than just watching TV.  Even if the moment is still, I want to be  abiding in Him and waiting expectantly.

PR for Christ?

 “You’re Public Relations Director? I thought you said you’re a missionary?”

Everyone has their own image of what PR is and rarely do they think of ministry in conjunction.  It was much easier to raise support as a missionary when my title was Youth Ministry Director. =)

Yet I love the relations part of my title.  I love to create relationships and community by breaking down fears and anger with awareness and collaboration.

Yes, getting the word out about our ministry & what we’re doing by website, newspaper, radio or whatever is part of what I do.  Yet, the real fun is in creating relationships that match God’s model & not the world’s.

Ministering to poverty and the marginalized looks very different in America than any where else in the world.  

The world is about the biggest bang for the buck.  Funding is about numbers and in dealing with this, I’m afraid a lot of churches and organizations are so protective of their “numbers of people served (saved)” that they are fearful or reluctant to partner with other groups or services.

This is very human but not very  biblical.  

The father of lies doesn’t want us to remember the loaves and fish, etc.

I show up at city meetings every month because the city & county programs are desperate to meet faith-based groups.  Now is the time God gave to connect.

I meet with anyone that serves our same community to generate partnerships that reach beyond numbers to real community development through relationships.

I use Twitter to promote other ministries even more than my own, to serve them.

I seek to understand the fears and share biblical solutions.  I teach by being willing to lose numbers, that people may find new life, new churches, new family resources, new avenues to self-sufficiency.

I desire to have a public faith and be relational for Christ. That's PR to me.  =)