A Pharisee’s God Badge

I sat with the other guys in my small group at Metro 29 Diner early Tuesday morning thinking about the passage from Luke 11 that David preached on, and I was blown away by how easy it is for me to create systems of hierarchy to make myself feel important.  Jesus said, “You [do the morally impressive stuff for all to see] and neglect justice and the love of God…You have taken away the key of knowledge.  You did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering.”  And God gave me this.

Put the God badge down
And love someone
Put your God badge down
And love someone
Let it free your soul
The world never was and never will be in your control
Put your God badge down
And love someone

Unlock your heart
And love someone
Unlock your heart
And love someone
There is no us or them
There’s only folks that you do or don’t understand
Unlock your heart
And love someone

You’re not your own idea
And neither was this town
Love alone was yours to carry
You could lay your gavel down
You could lay your gavel down

Let Him light your path
And love someone, yeah
Let Him light your path
And love someone
You’re not the jury or the judge
Quit acting out the fear that you call love
Put your God badge down
And love someone

I have struggled to the point of tears with this song, and I have kept wanting to pick up my gavel so that I could control something.  But I have not yet figured out how to love well enough to have my justice for the average person be an extension of God’s love.

Lord, help me to love others the way you have loved me…with mercy and wisdom beyond my ability.

– matt

(song by Fiction Family)