We ARE Christians! We ARE Christians! We ARE Christians!

Any novice film watcher will likely guess I just finished watching We Are Marshall. As my heart is not made of cold stone, I wept openly and copiously.

Though God is not mentioned in the movie, faith echoes through this true story of suffering, loss, and grief. What follows though is explicitly the hand of God through healing, reconciliation, restoration, and redemption. And it brings Him glory.

Inspiration abounds throughout this movie, and I could pick any number of lines and point you to supporting scripture. This is true in life as well. Yet, I find one scene to be particularly spirit-driven and is the one that prompted this reflection.

Jack Lengyel, the unknown coach whose heart was moved to help a town, and a team that was hurting, asked, if not the impossible, certainly the improbable. Not from God, but from a rival coach. Show us your game films, help my new Young Herd learn what helps you win. It was not the boldness of Jack’s request, or even the West Virginia University’s coach’s acquiescence that touched me. It was what followed.

Interrupted by WVU players while reviewing the films, and as the Coach Bobby Bowden is shooing them out of the room, the eyes of the Marshall University coaches locked on just one thing…the back of the WVU helmets, now showing a cross with MU on them. To me, it was profound, and even without a word, the message was palpably clear. We see you. We mourn with you. We respect and honor you, and most importantly, we stand with you. On the field, when we stand, we stand with you. We remember you because we care. 

All of that unspoken but true, and from just that…too many tears to count. The solemn moment embodying what loving your neighbor looks like. And still, that was not the motivation that brought me here.

It was this exchange, between Jack Lengyel and his rival, a smiling and sincere Bobby Bowden, referring to the green cross and MU on the back of his own players' WVU blue and gold helmets that popped off something in my brain:

 Bobby Bowden - “Colors clash a bit, don't they?”

 Jack Lengyel: - “That's first class, Coach. First class.”

And I thought of my God. I thought of all the people in all the world born in His image. I see all the lovely shades of people He has created. I see also that instead of our colors unifying together to become the foundation of His beautiful and eternal tapestry, they clash a bit, don’t they?

Both the answer and the explanation are simple. Yes. Our colors clash. Why? Because we are sinful. Christians, I do not mean that we are not saved. That is justification by the pure and innocent blood of Christ shed for the redemption of our sins. We are forgiven. I am referring to our sanctification, where growing pains should be what we seek, and not what we avoid.

Then God expanded my initial and world-centered definition of the word colors. It began to mean more to me. He impressed upon my heart that His colors are in each person that He has fearfully and wonderfully made. Certainly, as this applies to me, I feel good about that. As you should too.

Yet, in our sanctification process, we have to extend this truth to absolutely everyone else living and breathing in our world, and this is our greatest point of failure.

Because that means, by God’s word, this applies to anyone that has lied to you or cheated on you, or the person who stole from you, abused you or left you, disappointed you or disrespected you. It also applies to the gay man, the lesbian woman, or the drag queen. It applies to the drug addict and the woman seeking the abortion. It applies to the murderer, the rapist, or the immigrant.

It applies to every enemy we believe we have. It applies to everyone “since He Himself gives to all people life and breath…” Acts 17:25. So, in a nutshell, God’s colors are in each one of us, each one of them. Should that not change things?!

So, my question would be, for myself and all Christians to consider, if you are clashing with any colors, anywhere, are you not also clashing with Christ? I think that answer is simple too. Yes. Yes, I am. Yes, you are.

Romans 13:10 assures us “Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.” What might be considered wrong from God’s perspective? “…Bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.” Ephesians 4:31. Are you feeling, or speaking or behaving in these ways towards your neighbor, whoever they are, wherever they are? Are you clashing with your neighbor? The simplest definition of clashing is a violent confrontation. That does not seem loving, so therefore, we should not clash against our neighbor. That’s a mike drop, by the way.

So, then who does God say is our neighbor? Without reservation, anyone, and everyone that God puts in our path, so that we may share His love with them. Naturally, the Parable of the Good Samaritan, Luke 10:25-37, comes to mind. A man in need lay wounded in the road. Two men walked by without helping, and one stopped to help. Jesus asked the expert in the law, “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?,” to which the expert replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” I fear we are in a time where fear of, and shame and condemnation for our neighbors outweighs the mercy we are commanded to show. Likely we have forgotten the extent of the mercy shown to us, and then forget, or willfully choose not to extend to our neighbors that which we have received.

Most people are familiar with the first part of Philippians 2:3, where we are told, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.” We know what that means. Colossians 3:17 easily explains, “Whatever you do in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.”

Where our flesh struggles is found in the second part of Philippians 2:3, “Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.” Imagine a world where each person valued the other above themselves. Does that not, in essence, create a beautiful equality, standing at the only level spot available to all, the cross of Christ?

I recall a recent interruption by a family member, who during a conversation about grace, nearly jumped out of her seat and emphatically questioned, “What about the sin?! We can't forget about the sin!” Please know, my friends, that I do not forget about sin, nor condone it. I am especially aware of my own. Yet, if my heart and mind are intent on focusing on the sins of my neighbors, am I not then standing in my own sinfulness, by throwing out the first stone? At this point, I am the one who has no righteousness. And I am also not showing love.

God does not condone sin either. In His Holiness He cannot look upon it. He could not look upon me, or you, or anyone before their true belief in the atoning blood of Jesus. God’s day of judgment will come. His wrath will be satisfied, and Hell will be the price paid for those who do not bend the knee to the Lordship of Christ Jesus.

BUT…

“…God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

“…God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:17

“…God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

AND…

“…to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God…” John 1:12

“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20

“And have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.: Colossians 3:10

“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” Colossians 3:1-4

“So, from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view…” 2 Corinthians 5:16

BECAUSE…

“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9

“All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation…not counting people’s sins against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation.” 2 Corinthians 18-19.

FINALLY… 

“… now these three remain: faith hope and love; but the greatest of these is love.”  1 Corinthians 13: 13. “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8.

Yep, love covers a multitude of sin; mine, yours, and theirs. Love is always the way.

 In closing, remember the only righteousness we possess comes when Jesus is presently abiding in us, when we allow Him to take His rightful place as not just our Savior, but as the Lord of our lives. It should always be that way. But our sin nature does not always allow that. God’s word affirms our flesh and spirit are in constant battle with each other.

There is only one winner in a battle.

When we choose to ignore the teachings of Jesus, our flesh will win.

But our spirit will win the battle if we choose to allow Jesus to abide in us and allow His love to flow through us to all our neighbors.

And fear not the battles to come. Because Jesus has already won the war and overcome the world. He came to die for us. For all of us. Through His sacrificial death on the cross, and His resurrection, the love of Jesus has covered the multitude of sins of the entire world.

And well, “That's first class, Christians. First class.”