love begats love which begats love and so on and so forth...

a recent conversation via email that i have been apart of has really gotten me pretty bummed...not so bummed that the rest of the day seems lost, but bummed enough to feel the need to talk about this right now (1:35am). im not angry or upset, but simply saddened at what some people have told me. before i discuss what was said and why it bothers me so much, i would like to define two words:

fear-to be afraid or feel anxious and apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event.

faith-complete confidence in a person or plan; loyalty or allegiance to a cause or person

now that you know that let me explain what is bothering me so much...when i read the new testament (specifically the gospels) and see hanging out with sinners, teaching his disciples, or performing one of his many miracles i never felt like jesus was trying to make disciples by scarring them into the descision. granted everyone (no matter who you are, where you come from, or how how hard you try not to) brings something-some sort of preconceived notion-to the table (becuase it is humanly impossible to read the bible in a completely objective manner), but even with that it seems to only make sense that jesus impacted people's lives out of love, not with fear.

but in this conversation that i have been apart of, the other contributor mad e the comment that "like it or not, jesus was a 'hell-fire' preacher" and that people needed to know that they were dying and going to hell. the question that immediately popped in my head is, "how can that possibly lead to faith?" for instance, if you lived on a small island with 100 people on your side. and one day you hear that on the other side of the island there is this king who has established an extremely powerful kingdom, and that he is coming to your half to kill all those who oppose him. the next day the kings army shows up and some of the soldier insist that all you have to do is bow and you will be spared from a life of torture and punishment. naturally, that person going to do whatever it takes to save himself from such a fate, but he will not bow out of love for the king but out of fear.

fear can force you to do all the right things for all the wrong reasons, but love gives birth to more love. what is it exactly that we christians are doing when we tell people that they are heading for an eternity in hell if the don't repent right now? we are creating fear, not true love. it is love that leads to faith and loyalty. in the end, fear subsides and ends up in rebelion, but love begats love which begats more love. i know that it can't work everytime. what i am getting at though is if you walk down the street and tell a random man or woman that she is dying and going to hell they will do one of two things: a) tell you to piss off of b) "repent" and go back to the same life a month later. on the other end, if you walk down the street and meet person, take them to lunch, find out what their needs are, do your best to meet them, and when they ask why tell the you and jesus love them, i can see i much bigger window opening that will lead to love. and love gives birth to faith.

we are saved by grace through faith, not fear. we cannot (no matter how much we want to) replace faith with fear.