Who Do You Love?

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us—that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete. (1 John 1:1-4, ESV). A young boy with leukemia is fighting for his life. He is sick and vomiting from high levels of chemotherapy. As he prepares for a bone-marrow transplant, a psychiatrist comes into the room for an interview. Why? Part of her job is to determine if this boy is a worthy recipient. You have it. If the psychiatrist were to determine that this boy, or anyone else, was not a worthy recipient for the treatment, the hospital would have the option of passing on to someone who was worthy of the treatment. We live in an amazing age. The world is the stage of life. And the actors have authority over life and death. Should this be the case? It depends on your worldview. If you believe we are the products of evolution, then it is the survival of the fittest. And the job of the psychiatrist is to help determine the most fit to receive treatment. It is all quite logical. On the other hand, if you believe God created human beings in His image, the scene changes. We are to love our neighbors as ourselves. And we are to give to our neighbor the treatment we would desire for ourselves. The criterion for judgment changes when God is in the picture. But, some say, there is evidence for evolution, and there is no evidence for God. Our reading this morning makes a very clear declaration about the reality of God. Beyond that, it is true that Christianity is not a game! The church is not an entertainment center! You don’t go to see a make believe play on a stage. Christianity brings a serious message for a world in need. There’s a scene in one of my favorite movies, The American President, when the president is speaking at a press conference about some serious issues and he says: “These are serious times that demand serious people.” There is a lot of truth in that statement for our culture! This is not to say that we cannot enjoy life. Jesus came so that our “joy would be complete.” However, that joy must be rooted in an unshakeable faith in God and a relationship with Jesus Christ. That is the only appropriate basis for decision-making in our lives. That changes every decision we make. It keeps us from acting like we are God and forces us to recognize our limitations without Him. Isn’t it time to stop acting and start being?