Love - Can it Overcome?

As my first blog post ever, I struggled with the necessity to provide background - who I am, what I do, why I decided to broadcast my thoughts to the world. I struggled with the need to make a bold entry into the Bloggosphere, but I'd rather we take that journey together.

The title of my Blog site is "God Provides where Hate Divides." I chose that title because I believe we're at a crossroads of sorts. This great experiment, this Constitutional Republic that is these United States of America, was built so that "We the People" could prosper. Yet one could argue today that "We" aren't a very united people.

Just recently I watched as two friends, two equals, two studied and accomplished men sparred on social media over the events in Charlottesville, VA. A simple statement akin to "where is the outrage" sparked heated debate over perspectives and beliefs and it led to profanity and a general escalation of hate. How is it that an event that had zero personal impact for either of these highly-educated men led them to debase each other with such vitriol?

I'll tell you how - we failed at love.

Love suffers much. True Love listens when another is hurting and serves to heal his pain. Love absorbs hateful barbs and returns empathy. Love sees the wrongs and works passionately to make it right. But Love doesn't demand right or privilege; rather, it defers to another. Love remains silent when being abused and waits for the opportunity to heal. Jesus said it clearly in John 15:13, "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends." (NIV)

So my challenge for you today is this: Love like today is your last day on Earth. If you died today, would you want your eulogy to cite how steadfastly you stood up for your rights, or how passionately you loved the unlovable? Will your tombstone read, "Here lies Mark, Champion of Right and Privilege" or "Beloved father and friend - faithful to the end"?

As for me and my house, we will choose to Love.