We make lots of excuses not to love. They’re all trash. Every single one. Because Christians have no excuses to avoid loving other people.
Love your neighbors.
Jesus said a lot of things, but nothing more than this. He said it far more than he said love your enemies. And even then, when he’s telling us to love our enemies, he’s really saying make your enemies your neighbors—then they become easier to love.
Most of the other stuff involves making neighbors and loving them.
Don’t fear.
Make justice.
Protect the oppressed.
Heal people.
Share the good news of God in the world.
All versions of loving others and making love the dominant currency.
For two thousand years, the command to love (and it is a command) has been the most obvious thing about Jesus.
That’s why Christians have no excuse not to love.
He hit me.
Turn the other cheek.
They’re immigrants.
So were we.
It’s the wrong time.
Now is always the best time.
I’m sick of this junk.
Rest up.
People like that piss me off.
Let me tell you a story about “people like that.”
There was this guy who was beaten by these bandits and the pious, the people who are supposed to be sharing the love of God, they just walked past. Maybe they couldn’t be bothered. Maybe they thought their religion wouldn’t let them stop. But you wouldn’t believe who stopped to help him…
The point of making an excuse is to put the excuse between the person and repercussions. Excuses want to be in the way. Then they can prevent anyone from ever having to be responsible.
We certainly don’t excuse good behavior; when we’ve actually done something worthwhile. None of us needs excuses for that responsibility. In fact, many of us grab megaphones and broadcast how great we are.
Excuses are only for when we’re avoiding the hard thing or we’ve done something wrong.
The whole point of the excuse is to excuse a wrong—to justify it.
He hit me is the excuse for hitting back.
They’re immigrants is the excuse for breaking apart families.
It’s the wrong time is the excuse for never doing it.
I’m sick of this junk is the excuse for avoiding the work.
People like that piss me off is the excuse for not only judging a whole group of people but also justifying our not caring about them. Or worse, treating them unjustly.
The thing about Jesus, though, is that he doesn’t take excuses.
So it’s better to stop making them.
Instead, take responsibility for figuring out how to love. Then get your friends to do the same.