By HUNTER GREENE

A timeless truth tells us, “Actions speak louder than words.” Stated another way, we ascribe worth and value to things in our lives just by simply giving them our time and attention. Thus, one way of defining who we are as individuals is by evaluating the activities and people which demand our allegiances and resources.
For instance, I know someone is a carpenter by how well they can make a complex product with a hammer, nails, and some wood. I know someone is a truck driver by how well they can control a large vehicle, particularly in smaller areas. I know someone is a basketball player by the accuracy and consistency of their shooting ability. Notice that in these three examples I defined a person by what they did rather than what they didn’t do. A basketball player would not define his or her identity by saying, “Well, I am not a football player, and I don’t hit a baseball.” The truck driver is not defined by not flying planes, and the carpenter is not defined by his inability to play the piano. This may seem like elementary logic, but the fact of the matter is that this is exactly how we have defined our Christian identity.
We have come to define our relationship with Christ based on anti-theology, meaning that we consider ourselves to be Christ followers based on what we don’t do or believe in. I find this to be evident in the answers to the question: what makes you a Christian? My hunch is that most people would give specific answers regarding the things we aren’t supposed to do and give general answers regarding the things we are to do. Many people would probably say that being a Christian means that we try to “love” people and that we abstain from drugs and alcohol, refrain from greed and cussing, and oppose legislation supporting abortion and gay marriage. The problem with readily having definitions for our faith that are founded upon what we are against is that we become much more prepared to build walls rather than bridges. This is problematic because if the only thing distinguishing us from the world is our withdrawal from certain acts, behaviors, or people, how are we any different than your average John Doe on the street who has decided to be a good and moral person?
Jesus gives us some practical wisdom in how we are to be defined and known by others, apart from just those things that we are against. Jesus has called us to be defined by those things and people that we are for, not against. Luke 13:34-35 reads, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” Simply, the world will know us by one thing: our love.
Again, the temptation here is that we have so broadly defined love that it is almost impossible to know what Jesus is trying to say. However, I think a closer look at the life of Christ will reveal to us that God’s love is so profound and radical that it transcends our understanding of reasonable human interaction. It makes sense in our culture to open the door for someone or leave them a tip according to an arbitrary percentage after a meal. What doesn’t make sense is a type of love that calls us to eat a meal with those that betray us, much like Jesus did at the last supper. Jesus is calling us to a life of love that makes people scratch their heads in bewilderment. As Christians, we can’t understand why God would ever love us, and furthermore, the world shouldn’t understand our unconditional love for them.
If the church is once again to be known for our love and charity, then we must first acknowledge that love is a verb, rather than another idea we can “stand up” for. So many people think that “standing up” against abortion and gay marriage makes you a Christian. No, it really just makes you a good Republican. Others think that supporting a government funded social safety net makes them a Christian. No, it really just makes you a good Democrat. While our political beliefs and ideas are certainly important, they shouldn’t define who we are as Christians. The message of Christ tells us that even though we may be against abortion and gay marriage that we will still relentlessly pursue and serve the single mother who aborted her baby as well as the gay couple we may not understand. The message of Christ tells us that even though we may be against the great income inequality in this country that we will still care for the hungry as well as for the filled.
If the world can make sense of our lives, then perhaps we haven’t started following Jesus as intimately as we claim. All will know that we follow Christ by how we love one another. I never want my life or the ways in which I serve others to make any logical sense to my observers. This is our mission: confound others with the love of God radiating from our lives. Stop telling people what you are against and start telling them who you are for. We will never bring healing to the world by creating more wounds.
(The Solution Column is provided by Pastor Brandon Young of Harmony Free Will Baptist Church, Hampton, and his associate, Hunte