Even a good agenda can get in the way of love.

Years ago I was driving to pick up my youngest from preschool, when my car began acting as though it was losing power.  I was barely able to get off the interstate when it was clear the car was dying, and coasted onto a side street to parked.

My car just happened to die right in front of a crowd of Christians holding signs.  I thought, “How fortuitous for this to happen in front of my brothers and sisters in Christ!”

To say I was encouraged is an understatement; in addition to the stress car issues bring, being late to pick-up was not an option, so I was glad getting help would not be an issue.  Afterall, this is the type of moment Christians were made for!

To say I was discouraged when this wasn’t the case is a bigger understatement.

Though I was the only car in front of dozens of Christians, no one came to my aid.  As worked fruitlessly under the hood of my car, two ladies passed me multiple times, praying about their agenda while avoiding eye contact.  A group of men stood twenty feet away, glancing at me but not helping as I tried over and over to restart my car.

No one offered a jump.  No one offered encouragement.  No one offered prayer.

As I sat in my dead car frantically making calls and anxiously brainstorming solutions, I felt a deep sadness at the fact I was surrounded by believers holding bold Christian signs as they neglected someone in need.  I felt like the beaten man in Luke 10, ignored by the priest and Levite, religious leaders avoiding one of their own.  Even when I approached them and asked for help, they only offered me shrugs.  Ultimately, I was eventually able to reach the school and a back-up ride, though the lament over the neglect by ambassadors of Christ remained.

You’ll notice I did not mention what they were protesting.  Was it police violence?  Abortion?  Gun rights?  Minimum wage?  I’m not going to say, because if the answer is different than our personal agendas, we may distance ourselves from a flaw we all carry.  The focus of their signs was not the issue, but that their agenda shifted their focus from the call of God… even as they believed they honored Him!

I really needed help — practically and emotionally — and my brothers and sisters in Christ were so focused on a cause that they ignored my need even as they publicly prayed.  As they said spiritual words, they could not spiritually perceive an opportunity to “love others” mere feet from them.  As they fought for what they believed was a righteous agenda, they missed the greatest agenda of “love others.”

Perhaps what I lamented most was this was not an isolated event.  As I shared in a previous blog, in America many Christians are engaging politics and hot topics in an increasingly unhealthy way.  What happened to me on the street I have witnessed happening elsewhere, especially online.  I have witnessed Christians demean friends on post threads because of perceived political differences, not knowing the weight those people carry in life; God teed up an opportunity for these ambassadors to convey love to a stranger, and they chose malice.

This is not new; God-followers in scripture frequently opposed Jesus and failed to love others due to their agendas:

• In John 8 the Pharisees and Teachers of the law tried to kill a woman and trap Jesus because of their agendas around adultery and spiritual authority
• In Luke 13 the ruler of the Synagogue became indignant and opposed the healing of a man because of his agendas around the Sabbath and against Jesus
• In Mark 3 the Pharisees responded to a man’s healing by conspiring to kill Jesus, also because of their agendas around the Sabbath and against Jesus

In each case, there was an element of truth in their pursuit; the Law did have things to say about adultery, the Sabbath, and heresy.  However, in pursuit of these agendas they missed the true heart and purpose of the Law:

“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’  This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Matthew 22:36-40

Jesus was not neglecting his Father’s will regarding adultery, the Sabbath, and Truth; “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” (Matthew 5:17)  Instead, he fulfilled the Law and the Prophets by exuding the Love of his Father in every interaction.  These spiritual leaders should have known to do the same.

Church, as we stand for the things of God, let us not stand opposed to God; “God is Love“, and as Ambassadors every word and action should represent that Love.

Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
Romans 13:8-10