My dear friend James who works as a nurse recently told me he has come to believe that fear drives many more people than love. He said, “I find myself retiring from the force of love business. I continue to work small and shower people with compassion but do I love them?” Then he asked, “Do you expect strength and kindness or weakness and pettiness? And how do your expectations affect your ministry?”
His questions really got me thinking.
I wrote a lyric with my pals Bob Farrell and Regie Hamm several years ago that I think might apply. It’s called Human Thing.
They kiss their little girls goodnight
They send their young men off to fight
They’re so barbaric, so polite
and either one is home
They cheat each other,
lie and steal
They’re sensitive,
they hurt and feel
They close their eyes,
they bow and kneel
and pray they’re not alone
The hands that build cathedrals
Build the prison walls
There’s a paradox of vice
and virtue in them all
It’s a human thing
It’s a human thing
Father grant them mercy
through the joy and suffering
It’s a human thing
A twisting, turning history
The atom bomb, the symphony
A contradicting tapestry
continually unfolds
Hope springs eternal
But so do hate and greed
It’s a complicated path
to a simple need
It’s a human thing…
The same mouth that cries for peace
Turns and cries for war
Remember they betrayed me with a kiss
They dance with the devil
But they want to go to Heaven
I know you know
it all comes down to this
It’s a human thing…
**
Fear is the opposite of love
and almost as strong.
I say it’s 51-49 love.
I once heard a pastor say, “I love the idea of people. But the actual people, not so much.”
Human beings are a mess
That’s why we need Jesus
I have had to fight cynicism my whole life
But on the other hand I wake up and I’m in a good mood unless something bad happens. 51-49
I’m 49 percent Old Testament prophet
& 51 New Testament nurturer.
Exhibit A: The Somebody’s Daughter project. – Here, let me hit you on the head with a hammer so I can love you.
In general life has taught me – and ministry is no different- that most people don’t do what they say they are going to do. They’ll say stuff in the moment to make you go away without meaning what they say.
When she worked in Hollywood my wife Meredith used to know a guy who said “Television is not a stand up business”
Well I don’t think it just television.
Honesty is hard to come by.
Loyalty is rare.
People cut others down behind their backs just to puff themselves up.
And yet I’ve had people show me inexplicable kindness.
I’ve experienced unfathomable generosity.
I’ve seen love do crazy, selfless things.
I think the only reason God doesn’t just say to heck with the whole darn business is because there is still love happening.
It may only be 51-49 but it’s still happening.
It’s harder to see right now cause everybody’s looking past each other with this social media stuff. Civility is on life support.
But if we get another day then we have to choose love, right? I’d rather choose love and be a fool than chose fear and be a sage.
That said – and is this a cynic or just a realist? – it is best to keep the bar low.
Better to be pleasantly surprised than unpleasantly disappointed.
So, have I talked out of both sides of my mouth?
Well, 51-49.
I guess to me “working small” sounds right. I always say no matter how many people hear our songs, Jesus is working on each heart one at a time. So even if a million people hear a song it’s still working small.
How many lives do we have to touch with love to make a difference? Just the next one. And if they let us down, then I guess that’s on them.
So do I expect strength and kindness or weakness and pettiness? The answer is yes.
And I guess that’s why I do ministry. To experience it all in the full measure of our broken and glorious humanity. It’s a human thing.