Tuesday, May 12, 2015

#All_Lives_Matter

     A recent trend has found its way to social media by which various groups are demonstrating support by declaring that their lives matter. Supporters and "bandwagoners" alike have taken to posting about his/her political/social/racial/occupational groups with #(insert group)LivesMatter. A quick search on my newsfeed just today can pull up at least three of these declarations for three different groups.  Harmless, right? Innocent, right?
     I believe there are two lies implicit in these posts, whether intentional or not; and lies are never innocent or harmless. First, to declare one life matters is to imply that there is another which does not. All lives matter. All human life was created in the image of holy and good God (Genesis 1:27). All lives are recipients of a portion of His generous grace that gives warmth to the sun, bloom to the flower, and power to a nourishing rain. All lives are cared for under His watchful eye, and all lives are held in specific and intimate knowledge that only God could inventory. He knows every hurt, struggle, joy, pain, dream, temptation, and tear that ebb and flow to make up our calendar of life. He knows. He cares. All lives matter.
     Second, the truth that all lives matter is not a license for all choices and behavior. The "Lives Matter" informal campaign that has developed implies that because these lives matter their choices should not only be supported, but lauded. All lives matter, but all persons do not live those lives well. All lives matter, but some lives are lived selfishly, and some even maliciously. All lives matter, but not all choices are to be respected nor all decisions granted permission.
     I believe in and serve a loving God who has loved me in spite of my sinful choices born from a sinful nature (Romans 3:23. I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ who gave His life for those sins (Romans 5:19). I believe that He offers total forgiveness and complete redemption to those who commit their lives to Him, regardless of what those lives may have previously entailed (Romans 10:8-11).  Because I believe in these things, I believe it is the cruelest of people who bedazzle the ugliness of sin with political correctness and tolerance and let lives that matter die in a lie.

All. Lives. Matter. Speak the truth.

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