Love the Sinner

I was in a public restroom this weekend when a mother was in a stall cursing her small son to the point I would call verbal abuse. Apparently he was potty training and struggling getting himself clean and she was completely intolerant. It went on several minutes, with her talking in such a mean and condemning tone and using explicit language with him. I would guess he was somewhere between 2 and 3 years old. The restroom was fairly crowded but it didn't seem to bother her or make her try to keep quiet as she was rather loud about it.

One woman was very upset with it and when the mom came out of the stall she yelled at her, telling her she should not talk to her son that way and at one point calling her a "horrible mother". While I too was appalled at her speech toward her small son, something bothered me when the other woman called her a "horrible mother". I know the woman was taking up for the child and I could tell she genuinely cared and at first I was definitely in support of her calling her out, but at the same time my heart went out to the mom. I couldn't deny the feeling of commonality I had with this "horrible mom", although I couldn't quiet figure out why I had such a feeling of connection with her. It felt wrong. It felt like I was sympathizing with her when I felt like surely I should be telling her those same things too to protect the child, but I just couldn't shake the feeling I had in my heart toward the her, even though I would've like to suppress it.

When I left the bathroom, the "horrible mom" was sitting on a park bench by the playground alone while her kids were playing with their dad. I had the thought to go over and ask if she was ok, but then thought, "Wouldn't that in essence be telling her that I thought her actions were ok, letting her off the hook, taking her side?" I certainly didn't want to condone her actions or in any way encourage her to continue to treat her son that way. She left quickly and I didn't get a chance to talk to her, but I kept thinking about it and going back and forth with it in my mind.

Then I was laying in bed last night and I felt God speak to me so clearly. I was able to take a step back and see the situation in whole and see scripture come alive in it. God brought to my mind a radio broadcast I had heard while I was in the car of a woman talking about Jesus and the adulteress in John 8. (See below) She said Jesus was not condoning the sin of the adultress in the story, He was showing what the power of His blood can accomplish.

He loved us while we were still sinners, died for us even. And just as He loved us we are called to love others. In retrospect it's so obvious! Yes, absolutely I should have talked to her, I should have shown her Christ's love. What if I could have lead her to Christ or helped her find some help? The best thing I could've done for the child would have been to go love on the mom. I can leave the fear of condoning the sin aside and be free to love because Christ first loved me, even in my sin - and there is the commonality I felt with her that I couldn't figure out!

The lesson is well learned. I feel like the scales have fallen off my eyes and God has revealed a part of Himself to me that I have always heard buy maybe not quite grasped. My eyes are open. We are called to reach out, not just because we are supposed to, but because we love. Lord I praise you for caring, for revealing this truth and for showing me the love you have for me and for filling my heart with love. I pray I will move forward and share it freely and I'm excited about the adventure it will be! Thank you Jesus, for all you've done and continue to do!

Romans 5:8

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

John 8 1 but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.

2 At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4 and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” 6 They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

11 “No one, sir,” she said.

“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”