New Post From "What's The Deal?" Questions

As we continue to blog our way through the “What’s The Deal?” questions, occasionally one pops up that kind of makes me go, “hmmmmmmm”……….

The following is one such question:

“Is there a point at which you can turn your back on your neighbor because they refused any attempts of love and show no interest in a relationship with the Lord?”

Interesting question.

First of all, let me answer the question on its own merits.

Yes, there is a point at which you can turn your back on your neighbor…………….

You can turn your back on anybody you want to…………….
You can turn your back at any time you want to………..
You can turn your back for any reason you want to…………..

The question didn’t ask, “Would it be good, or right to do so”

It simply asked if you “can”

Sure you can…………

But why would you?

Quite honestly……………….I don’t even get the question.

I don’t get why you would want turn your back on anyone.

I thought of my friends.
I thought of my family.
I thought of people that I love.
I thought about my neighbors.

Then I thought about turning my back on them, cutting off our relationship, never to speak to them again, simply because they don’t choose to follow the same faith journey as I do.

The thought of that made me feel sad.

Perhaps I am just hopelessly relational, but don’t you want to be around your friends?

Don’t you want to be around the ones you love?

Don’t you especially want to be around the ones who love you back?

But the more I thought about it, the thought occurred to me………..

There is absolutely NOTHING noble about that.

There is nothing special about it.

Jesus spoke about this very thing.

Luke 6:32-34
32 "If you love only those who love you, why should you get credit for that? Even sinners love those who love them!
33 And if you do good only to those who do good to you, why should you get credit? Even sinners do that much!
34 And if you lend money only to those who can repay you, why should you get credit? Even sinners will lend to other sinners for a full return.
NLT

It occurred to me.

I am called to extend the boundaries of my relationships.

I am called to continue in relationship when I would rather not.

I am called to continue in relationship when it is not benefiting me.

And I stay in relationship BECAUSE I am a believer.

Because I am a believer, I am supposed to love others with the same love with which Christ loved me.

You know,…..that ‘while - I - was - still - a - sinner’ kind of love.

Yea………………….THAT kind of love.

The kind of love that selflessly laid its life down for me in the HOPES that one day I would receive it.

Paul talks about this love a little bit in 1 Corinthians.

1 Cor 13:4-7
Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. NLT

Love NEVER gives up.
It NEVER loses faith.
It is ALWAYS hopeful.
It ENDURES through EVERY circumstance.

I do believe in a little thing called tough love from time to time.

I do believe that constructing boundaries around your self are healthy and necessary when it comes to abusive types of issues and concerns.

These boundaries are there for you and/or your families well being and safety.

On a side note – whenever these boundaries are drawn, those drawing them are counseled to include forgiveness as a major part of the process.

But the question we have here does not allude to anything like that.

Honestly.............

The question seems to be looking for an end…………..
to unending love.

It seems to be trying to find a condition…………..
to unconditional love.

It seems to be trying to find that one loophole………..
to grace…….
to mercy…….

Friend, there isn’t one.

There is no end to love,
There is no condition to mercy,
There is no loophole to grace.

If there were, you and I could quite possibly be the first ones to fall through it.

So it is with gratitude to God that I love others in the same way.

After all,
that’s what makes it GOOD NEWS

Mark Brague