The Truth about Radical Love

This may come as a shock to you, but my children aren’t perfect. Yes, it’s true. They make mistakes.  They talk back sometimes.  They even lie.  They disobey. They act in selfish ways.

And, I don’t want to burst your bubble, but my husband?  My PASTOR husband? He sins. I know it’s difficult to imagine it, but my husband is a sinner.

And I, well, I am undoubtedly the most prolific sinner in our household. I think, say and do all kinds of things that prove that I am in desperate need of saving. I hurt myself and I hurt those closest to me with my selfish nature.

I don’t walk around my house believing that my husband and kids are all absolutely perfect.  And, they certainly aren’t under any illusions that I don’t do things I shouldn’t.  But, the fact that we are all active sinners doesn’t change in any way the fact that we love each other with all of our hearts.

This is Christianity.  Christianity loves anyway.  It says, Yes, I know you’re messed up. I see it. But, I love you despite that.

The recognition of sin and the presence of love are not mutually exclusive.

All over the internet I see the mischaracterizations of Christianity. I see the calls for radical love, the accusations that Christians are are nothing but hateful, judgmental Pharisees.  Because we see the sins that plague the world (and our own hearts). Because we want to declare that God’s word is true and right. Because we are desperate to be honest with God and with ourselves in declaring that we are all sinners, every one.

Yes, even you.

Even the beloved celebrities that cause us so much turmoil in the world of social media.

We see the sin problems, within us and around us. And, we must speak those problems to each other. Yes, we must.  We must call sin what it is, whether it is in our own children or in our own hearts.

Or in a celebrity cover story.

Why?  Because we hate people?  Because we enjoy seeing people fail? No, exactly opposite.  Because we love people.  Because we want to see people reconciled to God.

Christianity must speak truth. Ignoring the truth or trying to pretend that it doesn’t exist is dishonest. Love isn’t avoiding the truth because you’re afraid of being unpopular.  Love isn’t staying silent because you don’t want to offend. Love isn’t watching the world go to hell.

I love my children and my husband, and I see the sin in their lives.  They love me, and they know I am the biggest sinner around. Love and truth telling go hand in hand, no matter what kind of names people call you for it on the internet.

Sin hurts people. Radical love seeks to save people from hurt. Sin kills. Radical love seeks to save.

There is only one avenue to radical love, and it isn’t saying I’m okay, you’re okay.  The only path to radical love is saying I’m not okay, and you’re not okay. We’re dead in our sins, and we need new life.

So, Christians, speak the truth, always remembering that you are in need of saving just as much as the next person. Don’t be intimidated by the fact that the gospel is offensive. The truth about sin never has a pleasing ring to it. It sounds harsh and hard. But, it paves the way for the beauty of Christ and the most radical love that ever was.