Thought of the Day 04.21.09

When I recently commented that loving a person requires loving what he loves, someone replied that loving sinners does not require loving the sinful things they love doing. Though I agree with him, there is more to be said here.

If it’s true (and it is) that love requires knowledge, we can easily see that I can’t really love a sinful person unless I know of his sins. Ignorance of his flaws means I can only love a fake him who lacks those problems. But even if I know of his sins, there is still a barrier between us if I have never experienced a similar desire for them. I can’t truly understand him because I’ve never suffered his temptation nor yielded to it, and the fact that his sin doesn’t tempt me makes me more prone to judge him too harshly.

That’s why the most effective ministers are those who have both suffered and overcome what afflicts us. It’s also why the flaws which God has fixed indicate our natural areas of ministry. If so, then suffering them is best viewed as coursework in God’s seminary because they prepare us to love our neighbors as ourselves.