My APOLOGY TO THE CHURCH

by Ken Simmons

Please allow me to first apologize to the church, the body of believers. I should be setting a better example. 

In America we have political parties made up of Republicans, Democrats, and Independents. Politically, my loyalties are not with any of these. I’m a conservative, and currently the Republicans tend to be more aligned with my conservative views. I believe in conservative policies that translate to smaller government, lower taxes, etc. – i.e., the things that most other conservatives also believe. If the Democratic Party, or the Independent Party becomes conservative then I would align with them. It is not for these things that I apologize.

But what, and who, is it that conservatives generally tend to hate? Abortionists, secular/progressives, gun-grabbers, Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, Maxine Waters . . . the list goes on and on. I tend to hate Madalyn Murray O’Hair, who took hatred of God and the church all the way to the Supreme Court resulting in prayers and Bibles being banned in our schools. Think about that one for a moment – I hated her because she hated God – Wow! That shames me.

The operative word here is “hate.” I’m guilty, just as are many conservatives. I tend to hate Margaret Sanger, the founder of Planned Parenthood, who once publicly stated in reference to blacks and poor people, “they were “human weeds, reckless breeders, spawning . . . human beings who never should have been born.” I could go on and on listing those I have ended up hating over the years because of my political convictions.

We hate abortion, but why do we end up hating the abortionist? We hate the crime, but why do we end up hating the criminal? We hate terrorism, but why in Jesus’ name do we end up hating the terrorist? Looking at Jesus' example, our hatred shames us and it gives those who are not believers even more reason to point the finger and shout "hypocrite!"

Madalyn Murray O’Hair, Margaret Sanger, and yes, even Adolf Hitler, are all dead. One day Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, Maxine Waters, and the left-wing media, along with every other in the far-left that we Christian conservatives consider a “hater,” will eventually be dead as well. But is their hatred any less offensive to God than ours? Did God rejoice at the death of Hitler, or O’Hair, or Sanger. Will God rejoice at the death of my political “enemies” if they do not become believers in Christ. This is the Christ who gave up his position in the God-head and suffered at the hands of sinners, taking our punishment upon Himself so that we can all be saved. The answer is clear and unambiguous – NO! God did not hate any of these people, for God is love.

“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9 NIV)

When will we, who call ourselves Christian Conservatives, stop hating? Will our hatred win over radical Islamic terrorists any more than it won over Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Pol Pot, or Mao tse Tung?

I feel compelled to refer to Richard Wurmbrand, author of “Tortured for Christ,” who was once himself an atheist. He hated the communist system and what it had done to the people of Romania, particularly the unimaginable torture of Christians. It was relentless, and it was unspeakable. But, he loved the communists - he loved them in spite of what they’d done. More than once his unfailing love toward his torturers led them to finally surrender to Christ, and more than once he saw them as they ended up in prison cells next to him after their own conversion to Christ. The other prisoners kicked them and spit on them, but he always stepped in, tended to their wounds and showed them unconditional love. This quote from Wurmbrand best describes it.

“A flower, if you bruise it under your feet, rewards you by giving you its perfume. Likewise Christians, tortured by the Communists, rewarded their torturers with love.”

And, he said, “A great portion of my family was murdered. It was in my own house that their murderer was converted.” How appropriate was that. They won their torturers over with the love of Jesus.

Where is this kind of love in the church today? And, where is this kind of love found in me?

“Father God, forgive me for not having learned to love my enemies unconditionally, for in doing so I might someday learn of their salvation. I know that death awaits us all, but it was Christ’s love that conquered death, hell and the grave.” -- Ken