Love and Hate

I just finshed watching the movie "The Kingdom". It coincides with something that i have been recently looking into; love.

It disturbs me when Christianity is projected in the form of 'total truth', 'uncompromising', 'full repentance', 'total obedience' and etc. Sometimes we sound militant. It makes Christianity sound so rigid, so strict. And so unattractive.

As i have read, in a book entitled "Jesus Creed" by Scot Mcknight, I find that more and more love has lost its grip on Christianity. Love has left at some point. I like what Mcknight calls Jesus' creed was; Love God, Love neighbour. The basis of spiritual formation is Love, loving God by followig Jesus, and loving others.

Connecting that with the movie i watched, the conclusion speaks volumes. At the end a question as raised, "what did you wisper in .... ear...?" to which the answer was "we will kill them all". It talks about vengence. And judging by how the movie ends with that conclusion, was vengence served? No. In other words i think the main message of the movie was to state that war is not the answer.

Now what would be the answer, in a world seeking vengence?

It is something hard to answer, but i can say that forgiveness and love is the answer.

To me, if christianity is saying that it is the truth, then love should be its main characteristic.

I leave you with these verses:


Romans13: 8 Let love be your only debt! If you love others, you have done all that the Law demands. 9 In the Law there are many commands, such as, “Be faithful in marriage. Do not murder. Do not steal. Do not want what belongs to others.” But all of these are summed up in the command that says, “Love others as much as you love yourself.” 10 No one who loves others will harm them. So love is all that the Law demands.

Galatians5: 5 But the Spirit makes us sure that God will accept us because of our faith in Christ. 6 If you are a follower of Christ Jesus, it makes no difference whether you are circumcised or not. All that matters is your faith that makes you love others.

James 2: 8 You will do all right, if you obey the most important law in the Scriptures. It is the law that commands us to love others as much as we love ourselves. 9 But if you treat some people better than others, you have done wrong, and the Scriptures teach that you have sinned.
10 If you obey every law except one, you are still guilty of breaking them all. 11 The same God who told us to be faithful in marriage also told us not to murder. So even if you are faithful in marriage, but murder someone, you still have broken God’s Law.
12 Speak and act like people who will be judged by the law that sets us free. 13 Do this, because on the day of judgment there will be no pity for those who have not had pity on others. But even in judgment, God is merciful.