Hate the sin … but L-O-V-E the sinner

By Douglas Breite

Does anyone recognize the name Judge Roy Moore? He was that judge from Alabama who was sued by the ACLU for displaying the Ten Commandments [in the state Supreme Court building]. He was stripped of his judgeship for standing up for the Ten Commandments.

Someone shared with me the following poem that Judge Moore wrote. It's a little hard to listen to, but I believe it is accurate:

America the beautiful, or so you used to be.

Land of the Pilgrims pride -- I'm glad they'll never see.

Babies piled in dumpsters. Abortion on demand,

Oh, sweet land of liberty, your house is on the sand.

Our children wander aimlessly, poisoned by cocaine,

Choosing to indulge their lusts when God has said, "Abstain."

From sea to shining sea our nation turns away

From the teaching of God's love and a need to always pray.

We've kept God in our temples. How callous we have grown

When earth is but his footstool, and heaven is his throne.

We've voted in a government that's rotten to the core,

Appointing godless judges who throw reason out the door,

Too soft to place a killer in a well-deserved tomb,

But brave enough to kill a baby before he leaves the womb.

You think that God's not angry, that our land's a moral slum?

How much longer will he wait before his judgment comes?

How are we to face our God from whom we cannot hide?

What then is left for us to do but stem this evil tide?

If we who are his children will humbly turn and pray,

Seek his holy face and mend our evil way:

Then God will hear from heaven and forgive us all our sins.

He'll heal our sickly land and those who live within.

But, America the beautiful, if you don't, then you will see

A sad but holy God withdraw his hand from thee.

Powerful? You bet.

Is our nation a moral slum? In many ways, it is. I was listening to a Hollywood movie star talk about how his movies accurately reflect what takes place in our world. I pray not, but I'm afraid he's correct. ... Society wants us to sugarcoat sin. Society wants us to be politically correct.

Some of you may have read the prayer delivered by a pastor before the Kansas Legislature. I'll share just a part of it:

We confess, O Lord, that we have ridiculed the absolute truth of your Word and called it moral pluralism.

We have worshiped other Gods and called it multiculturalism.

We have endorsed perversion and called it an alternative lifestyle. ... We have killed our unborn and called it choice.

We have neglected the discipline of our children and called it building self-esteem. É

We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression.

As in every generation, the church is called to take a stand against sin. We want the people in our society to know God's law. The purpose of proclaiming God's law is to lead people to repentance. Only then are they receptive to the good news of forgiveness through Jesus Christ.

God gives value to each and every life through the redeeming hands of Jesus Christ our Lord. The hands that knit you together in your mother's womb are the same hands that were stretched out on the cross to pay the price for your sin. God loved his creation, his children so much that he sent his son Jesus to buy us back from sin and death.

His loving forgiveness is for all of his children. God values life of all kinds: The baby in the womb. The child on the playground. The child with Down syndrome. The paraplegic in the wheelchair. The young woman with MS. The grandma in the nursing home. All are created by God. We mustn't be reluctant to share God's message of life.

In the church, we speak quite frequently about love. ... What is the L-O-V-E approach? The letters in the word "love" give a strategy for providing love to someone who is hurting.

The letter "L" stands for "Listen." A person who is hurting needs someone to listen. Listen to the story. Ask questions to better understand the embarrassments and fears of that person. The Lord always listens to us, as we pour our hearts out to him in prayer

Do you remember watching Captain Kangaroo when you were growing up? I was more of a Captain Kangaroo kid than a Mr. Rogers kid. He once said, "Giving your attention to someone who is hurting is like giving them a daily bouquet of love." ...

The "O" stands for "Open up options." When someone is dealing with an untimely pregnancy, they're looking for options. Maybe they truly believe that abortion is the only option. People need to hear about adoption. There are so many couples who would provide a loving Christian home for that child. Maybe parenting classes are the option that needs to be shared. Family support is essential. I've seen family after family that at first resented the pregnancy but came together, and that little baby became the prince or princess in that home. God always provides a way, another way, when the road seems dark. ...

The "V" stands for "Value." God hates sin, but he loves the sinner. God values each and every child of his. There is nothing you can do that will make God love you more. There is nothing you can do that will make God love you less. We also help someone see that there is life beyond the situation at hand. That is the message of the Gospel. There are people who have chosen abortion. There are those who have made poor choices concerning God's gift of life -- at either end of the age spectrum and at every point in between.

But God loves you. He values you. And he promises that "if we confess our sin, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." The forgiveness that Jesus brings is for everyone, no matter what sin is in our past. ...

The "E" stands for "Empower." We can preach and teach until we are blue in the face, but we must empower and help those who choose life. Think of the Good Samaritan. That parable is a great example of love. He picked up and valued what was left for dead ... and helped him. He even paid the bills to help ensure life.

Jesus did that. He paid the bill for our sin in full on the cross. And He empowers us in Word and sacrament. ... We need to stand strong against sin. But like God, we need to love the sinner, no matter what sin may be involved.

The Rev. Douglas Breite is the administrative pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Cape Girardeau. The sermon from which these excerpts are taken was delivered last Sunday on Life Sunday. It is being shared at the request of parishioners.