Despicable Us.- The other side to the Muslim Mosque

I took my kids today to see the movie Despicable Me. It was rather enjoyable. Of course Zadyn thought all references to butts, toilets and pooting was absolutely hilarious! And Awan loved the sweet charm of the three girls that steal Dr. Gru's heart. Ours too. But the story is a great story. That before we claim someone a villain, we recognize, a spirit of humanity that is good in all people. If we let go of our fear of others that are different we might just discover that we can love the very people we may have been terrified of.

As of late, I have been dumb founded with God's Grace. I was frantically telling Jeremy yesterday in the car. GRACE= EVERYTHING. I think I haven't truly been able to accept that his Grace can cover the Dr. Gru in me. That his grace covers the worry some, fearful, shop o holic, burdened by what others think of me syndrome parts of me. Grace covers my shortfalls. His love is a wealth in the midst of the poverty that I feel. GRACE= FREEDOM.

Today in America, we are so prideful of our freedom. We do live in a country that allows us to be free, or so we think at least.... But honestly. We are the "free"est people in the world but are we really free? If you turn on CNN, or FOX NEWS, we find that well, we aren't really that free are we? We are bound by FEAR. Fear of terrorism, fear of Democrats taking over the world :) The Antichrists right? LOL The basis of the News is built not on our freedom but built on what is bonding and fearful. We as Americans don't act out of Freedom. We act out of Fear.

Just so we are all on the same page: Fear is related to the specific behaviors of escape and avoidance, whereas anxiety is the result of threats which are perceived to be uncontrollable or unavoidable.^[ Fear could also be an instant reaction to something presently happening.

Where there is Fear, we have no freedom. Here is very shocking reality for most of us. Our American citizenship has and never will make us really FREE. It is only by God's undiscriminating love for us, that we can be free, free in his Grace. Outside of that there is no freedom.

So here is the big question of the week for me. If we as a collective group of people following Jesus Christ, claiming we are in fact his Christ-Follower, do we react out of fear vs freedom in him? If we claim what he claims then how can we react to every issue in a fist up lets fight for "what's ours" kind of way?

I know I won't make many friends, in this blog, but here is my heart cry. If God's love and his ability to accept us all, is so vast then why do his people come across so protective, fearful and even violent.

Here is the other side to the Muslim Mosque. New York followers, of Christ, have the opportunity of a lifetime, in this... They have been given the chance to be apart of a community of Muslims here in our FREE country where we can share with them the amazing GRACE of God, that we serve a God who doesn't care about the Dr. Gru in us without being killed for it. Just this week I heard that three missionaries lost their lives in Afghanistan, feeding the mouths of the hungry. And we shout and fight and show no love to a community that we can love and share our Good News with in freedom, Despicable Us. I am so glad that we do serve a God of Grace because his people need it. We have sinned against the Muslim people. We say we are opposing the mosque, and it's location, but I tend to believe that we all know that is a lie. We are opposing Muslims in a discriminating, hateful, revengeful, unforgiving way that Christ would not be proud of. But even in the mess of our own selfish, fearfulness, with throwing our fists in protest, God's Grace covers us. Praise God for that.


Matthew 5:43-48n (TNIV)

You have heard that it was said. "Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you, LOVE your enemies and PRAY for those who persecute you., that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you , what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even the pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore as your heavenly Father is perfect.