Bridges part 5
Love is the creative force of the universe. You can't make something out of nothing. So when God--who, remember IS love--made the heaven and the earth, He was simply creating an extension of Himself. And I know that it seems like love is hard to find, but that's because it's underneath the surface. Deep down inside. That's why the deep calls out to the deep. And that's why the Spirit, which is within us, works from the inside-out. Love is so big, and is ever expanding (get it? Eternal... everlasting...) that it fills us to overflowing. And while this particular analogy may make it seem like bridges are unnecessary--we are supposed to flow in the river of life, right? Even as it flows out of our bellies, or our innermost being? Well, that's true. But we also need that bond to connect us. We need to be able to get to the other side of the river, so to speak. Because while everybody is on this same journey (whether they know or not) harldy anybody is at exactly the same point in the journey. But since the journey is never-ending, that's ok. It's not about the destination. It's about moving forward. Walking by faith. Not getting stuck. It's about that connection where even when we don't agree on things, we can still fellowship. And that connection is called love. I can love you whether I agree with you or not. And truly loving you comes from understanding you and accepting you, NOT trying to change you. I've never felt the need to MAKE someone agree with me. I heard a preacher say this one time and it really kind of defined my take on my ministry: "I believe what I believe because it makes me happy. And even if I'm wrong... leave me alone! Because I'M HAPPY!" That's how I tend to deal with other people. If you want to know what I think--not to argue, but to understand--then I'll tell you. But otherwise, I'm pretty much content to do my thing and let you do yours. I've actually had people on FaceBook deny my friend request because I wasn't willing to jump through their hoops and declare my allegiance to what they believe. Man... I think that's crazy. I don't agree with half the stuff I read on FaceBook. But that doesn't mean I go on a deleting spree. You're allowed to think what you want to think. For real. You are. And if I build walls, cutting you off, because we are different... that says a lot more about ME than it does about you. Think about how boring it would be if everybody was exactly the same. Variety is the spice of life. It makes things interesting. AND, for the record, while 1 John 2:20 tells us that, "...ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things," I don't understand everything I know. There are some things that I have some insight in. And there are some things that I am clueless about. Yeah, I admit it. But if I have a piece, and you have a different piece, and we put those pieces together, then we start to see more of the big picture. Almost every religious denomination came from someone getting a revelation, coming out of where they were, and then stopping right there. They used a bridge to get out of where they were, and then immediately started putting walls up. They started with the creative force of the bridge, but then moved right into trying to keep what they had safe. And while that is a very natural motive to have... the execution is all wrong. You don't protect what you've got by hoarding it. You protect it by sharing it. That's what love is. Love is giving. And bridges help us reach other people, so we can share what we've got with them!