Whose Line is it Anyway?

I need to be completely honest. I've been struggling over the past few weeks and I'm not so sure how do define it. Is it racism? Is it hatred? Whatever I could name it, in the end it's sin and it needs no "definition". That would only lead me to try to categorize it as better than this action, or worse than that one - it's just sin. So here's the deal, I live in a neighborhood with a lot of Hasidic Jews and I find myself reacting whenever I see someone in the street. I'll roll my eyes or think some sassy little thought (i.e. "I wonder if those curls help him feel closer to God...", "I know he's hot in that suit!", "I understand that this is the Sabbath and all but it would be helpful if I could get some cheese after 5pm on Friday!!"). Soon afterward I'm convicted; but it's like it never stops! I wish I could pinpoint the moment when this all started so I could think about what environmental influences helped me come to the conclusion that I needed to think of myself as better than they, but I don't think I was alive yet.

I mean, what is my problem? Not that I'm above sinning, but wasn't I the one who begged God to move me from the Bible Belt to meet someone who didn't believe in Jesus!? And here I am in the midst of it all with the perfect opportunity to speak of my Savior and all I can do is complain. I guess I'd be happier if I ran into an indie rocker from Philly with a few tattoos and some emotional baggage...so cliché.

So what! if I live among God's chosen ones, they still deserve to know the fullness of His love and that redemption and communion doesn't come through possessions or traditions. It's all Jesus (or "Christ plus nothing" as my pastor in Austin used to say).

What's more is it's the same God! The God of Abraham, David, Jonah and Saul loves me too. I call on Jehova Jireh, Jehova Nissi, El Shaddai and El Olam all day long! So this attitude, this "My line is more direct" mentality is basically crap. It's elitist. It's mean. And more than anything, it's not what Jesus would do!! He would do quite the opposite.

That being said, this line to God doesn't belong to me or anyone else with a Bible. We're not in a tug-of-war, we're not even on opposing teams. We're family, sitting at the Lord's table, sharing stories with each other and laughing.

And for that reason I'm going to straighten up and smile a little at my neighbors in an effort to say, pass the milk and honey brother, our Daddy's got enough to go around!