If you’re anything like me (especially if you are a blonde haired, blue eyed, white skinned, man) it can be hard to know what to say or what to do in the midst of the cultural and political chaos we have been experiencing lately. These last few days I have found myself feeling both heartbroken and angry in light of what happened in Las Vegas. My heart breaks for the friends and families who lost the one’s the loved so deeply.

And I’m angry. I’m angry because I hate that this kind of stuff happens. I’m angry because stuff like this forces me to examine the hate I have in my own spirit. And I hate that in my brokenness I have real live hate in my life.

I also hate how quickly the conversation about the shooting in Las Vegas turned political. Please hear me out on this: I’m no expert on gun policy, I’m no expert politically, and I’m no expert when it comes to the complexity of politics. However, I have been realizing that I (and maybe a few others) have a tendency to make things political when perhaps what’s “political” isn’t the point. I think I sometimes make things political as a way to protect myself. Let me explain.

I was brought to tears last night listening to one of Matt Maher’s new songs. It’s called The Least of These. I was brought to tears because while I was listening to that song I felt convicted. In a cultural moment and a political climate where beautiful examples of Love are hard to come by, Matt Maher paints a picture of Jesus and the love that he offers each and every one of us:

I was hungry, I was thirsty
I was weary, You let me in

When love became a refugee, He became my refuge
When love became a prisoner, He set me free
The widow and the orphan became the bride and children
When He stole my heart between two thieves
That’s when love became the Least of these.

As these words washed over me last night, and as the tears began to fall down my cheeks, I felt convicted.

And I still feel convicted. In my brokenness, I have a tendency to live a life of what I call “Convenient Love.” I tend to love others when it’s convenient for me to love others. And the reason I cried last night is because I was convicted of the profound reality that in a world being undone by hate, the world doesn’t need my selfish, “convenient love.’ In fact, my convenient love is only adding to the problem.

What the world needs is a Love that is real. And real Love is willing to become the least of these.

But for those of us who don’t have much experience being “the least of these”, we may actually have to sacrifice a little. Sacrifice is hard. Before Jesus hung up there on the cross between those two thieves, he asked His Father if there was any other way, and there wasn’t. Jesus had to go to Hell and back for you and for me. And so that has me wondering:

I wonder if the love Jesus is inviting us to embody and the love this world needs is a love that will require some sacrifice?

I wonder if the love Jesus is inviting us to embody and the love this world needs is a love that will require us to give up some of our priveledge?

I wonder if the love Jesus is inviting us to embody and the love the world needs will look a little more like becoming the least of these.

When love became a refugee, He became my refuge
When love became a prisoner, He set me free
The widow and the orphan became the bride and children
When He stole my heart between two thieves
That’s when love became the Least of these.

 

To Listen to Matt Maher’s song “Least of These” click on this link: