The other day I listened to a hilarious monologue by one of the afternoon talk show hosts. It was one of those really funny 5-minutes of squeaky clean humor that is hard to find these days. I caught myself smiling from ear to ear.
It brought back memories of how much I loved this person. Her humor is funny, gentle, and kind...humor you can listen to with your mom. She is Ellen Degeneres.
Shocking but true!
Love is probably a pretty strong word for me to use about Ellen. Yet, you use the same word for a movie, a food, a sport's team, or a reality TV show so I will use it here! And think about this, many of us Christians use the 'love' word for our current president who would not get off the couch to answer our phone call.
I love Ellen in that weird popular culture sort of way. The same way someone says they love Mel Gibson, the movie The Incredibles, the Rockets, the Houston Astros, the Rolling Stones, or their favorite writer and popular culture icon.
Ellen is funny. She has a great smile. She is a funky personality who I've always admired for the cleanness of her comedy. I love the way she loves her mom...isn't that cool? I wish I could love my mom so much that I was comfortable poking some fun at her!
I love the way she dances and the way she sometimes pokes light fun at people but mostly keeps the humor aimed at herself and the odd things in life.
But...
Ellen is a lesbian!
Oops! I can't remember? Can I love someone like that?
How shallow is my love supposed to be? How attached to someone's beliefs or performance is my love? Am I allowed to love someone without accepting their lifestyle as Godly? Does God look down with a frown when I love someone who does not follow His ways?
I think Jesus answers these questions well through His actions and words.
Jesus held a deep and meaningful conversation with the woman at the well during a period of history where He had no business being in the presence of this kind of woman. Jesus skirted the issues of sin, politics, and culture and got down to the real business He was about...had she tasted the water that gives eternal life?
It is quoted that Jesus said it does not matter if you love those that love you because even the very worst of us can do that; what matters is if you love those who hate you. Jesus said a lot of stuff about love that most of us do not care to follow yet at the same time we easily say that we love the people of the world.
The stuff Jesus said about love was not that weak, sappy sort of love that dreamy eyed girls talk about. It was a strong, amazing love that brought Him to death on the cross and caused strong men to become broken and equally strong women to follow Him.
Jesus hung out with what just might be considered the biggest bunch of losers in the first century. He taught them in small groups and in the setting of multitudes; they saw Jesus perform miracles with food, wine, mud, arms, legs, eyes, and demonic spirits yet they still bickered and positioned themselves for greatness. And every last one of them scattered when the tough part came at the cross.
Yet, Jesus still loved each one of them. His love did not waver because of their attitudes when He was with them nor did it change when they betrayed Him. His love was strong.
I want nothing to do with syrupy love that is sweet to the taste but makes me fat.
I want the kind of love that leads me to obedience even unto death. The kind of love that looks beyond faults so that each person I meet can be lead into the Father's embrace. This strong love overlooks lifestyle, personal hygiene, political beliefs, body piercing, crazy colored hair, sexual choices, and wicked hearts.
I want the strong love that burly fishermen, evil tax collectors, and stubborn men are attracted to and transformed by. I want the God kind of love that says I will give anything to see you in eternity. I want the Jesus kind of love that says for you I'll give my life.
It is not the love of Soap Operas, romance novels, or cheap sex in a multitude of sad and lonely relationships. Nor is it the notion that all love is God-type of love so therefore all things are okay if I call it love. It is the vibrant love of the Father who even in rebuke has love in His heart and restoration as the end result. That even in the middle of sin and rebellion He longs to be with us because His love is so strong and so pure.
It is a dangerous love and only available upon the death of our self and the resurrection of Him in and through us. It is not made possible to us through an evangelism class or book on love. It is available through His life and His life only.
God has transformed my life through love and not a political system or a system of rules. It is His love that constantly pulls me to Him and allows me in some small way to reflect Him. It is this incredible love that teaches me right from wrong, gives me a moral compass, and helps my life in a small way reflect Him.
Go ahead and do it: call me a liberal. I hope the label fits in this area because...
I want to be liberal in love.
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