hater drama

I know I usually post about lighthearted things such as the dentist and chocolate. However, this post is a little different. This week, our pastor received the above fax from a church in Topeka, Kansas. They are called Westboro Baptist Church and they preach hate. They preach hate because they say "the bible preaches hate". Really? I wonder if we are reading the same bible. I understand that our God can be a "God of wrath" and a "jealous God". But I also know that we serve a merciful, loving creator. You don't have to look very far to see that. Their website is godhatesfags.com. Their sermons have been titled, Thank God for dead soldiers, God hates you, Thank God for 911, The pope is in Hell, and God sent the shooter to name a few. They have also traveled around to picket funerals of military soldiers. Talk about disrespect.

So if you read the fax, you will see that they are coming to picket at our church on Easter Sunday. I pray for anyone's soul who wants to spend their Easter preaching hate to those going to worship the resurrection of our savior. If you know anything about St. Luke's you know that we are a very accepting church. By that I mean we don't care if you are gay, straight, an adulterer, or an alcoholic. Why? Because it is not up to us to judge. How can you lead people to Christ if you shun them away and shove their mistakes in their face? Did Jesus not hang out with murderers and thieves and make them his disciples?

It says in Matthew, chapter 7:
1 Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. 3 "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.

It is very hard not to be angry that these people are coming here on Easter Sunday. However ,I know that the only way to combat hate is with love. And believe me, these people need love because it seems that hate rules their life. St. Luke's has taught me to look beyond the exterior and focus on the interior. I am proud of our church and everything we stand for. I can't help but think of the Martin Luther King quote: "Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that; Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that."