Abba, We Belong To You (a response to Charlottesville)

“Abba, I belong to you.” This lyric, this truth, this proclamation, has been echoing in my mind and heart all day. What a beautiful thing it is to be so wholly loved by God that He came down and died because we cannot save ourselves.

While I resonate with these words, there’s this part of me that wants to sing it with multitudes of voices joining the chorus: “Abba, we belong to you.”

With what has taken place today in Charlottesville Virginia, my heart has been grieved, my mind questions, and I am yearning still to sing this over my brothers and sisters.

This world is not a place for acts of hatred or violence. Unfortunately, acts of hatred and violence take place every day. There is nothing new beneath the sun.

Yet as bearers of the Name of the One and Only, we are called to be Shalom-bringers. Our mindset and heart’s yearning should be peace and love. This is not some hippy-dogma, but it is what Jesus walked during His ministry on the earth we now reside.

Now, seemingly more than ever, God’s sheep need to be actively pursuing and enhancing the skills and talents God has given us to enable peace and love to spread. If we are sitting back, cowering in fear to use our words, hands, art, food, money, voice, for a hurting world, we are not fulfilling the Great Commission. We are not walking as Jesus, who saw every broken human being (which is each of us.)

We have been chosen and set free by the King of all Kings, the One who conquered death and hell and fear, and who proclaims us washed by His blood by His grace through His righteousness because of His Love. We have been anointed with great power and we are not using it.

We must rise, in fierce love, to speak for those who do not have a voice, to set free those imprisoned in their past, and to declare Love’s victory over hate.

There are countless ways God has enabled us to do this. For me, a main way is to write. These words are, the majority of the time, the words He has given me and I pray my words are full of His grace and truth and life and light and love.

We reside in a broken, pain-filled, sin-stained world. Let us make our mark of Love with the Strength provided by Jesus Christ, our Lord, our Savior, our Greatest Friend, and not shrink back in the face of fear and hatred. Let us stand tall and proclaim freedom and Truth.

Brothers and sisters, may we invite Love to reside in our hearts and in our minds. May we allow God to storm in and break up our routine, our apathy, our comfortable boxes, and break our hearts once again for what breaks His.

And may we in obedience accomplish all He has called us to as He spurs us on towards the goal.

Remember that you are loved and that is the truest thing about you.