Dear Rose Park,
Last Wednesday at 4:11pm Winn Julia Waterstone was born. 10 toes. 10 fingers. 2 eyes. 2 ears. Sam counted them all at least three times. In a split second, we fell in love. Leading up to her birth, Sam and I kept asking each other, ‘how is it possible to love another child like we love Simon?’ But as soon as Winn was born, it was as if our minds were clear and our hearts grew three sizes bigger.
As this first week has gone by, our hearts continue to swell with love for both Simon and Winn. Even as we transition home, navigate newborn midnight cries, two-year-old fits of jealousy, and the chaos of Rudy our hearts continue to swell with unconditional love. In these tender moments though, my mind also grows aware of all the children who are not loved. Elie Wiesel, writer, professor, and Holocaust Survivor once wrote, “the opposite of love is not hate, but indifference.” As we swaddle Winn, hold her close, kiss her cheeks, and tell her how much we love her, I am conscious of the thousands of children who experience indifference.
Love, and even hatred, take energy and thoughtfulness. Indifference is apathetic and doesn’t see the value or worth of expending energy to love or hate. Imagine how painful it must be to be a child who experiences indifference; who feels unseen, unheard, or even unknown in their own household. Neglect is perhaps the word we most commonly associate with indifference; did you know that over 60,000 children are reported to be neglected on a weekly basis in the United States? Read that again because that is a haunting statistic.
Many of us are probably startled by even the idea of being indifferent towards a child, but I wonder if we have the same startling feeling if we were to be indifferent towards God? Indifference is what Revelation must have been referencing in the third chapter when it reads, “so, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” I worry we see the acts of love (or even hatred) towards God as too much work or requiring too much energy; so instead, we turn apathetic and indifferent towards God because we simply don’t care.
However, if we desire to be in right relationship with God then we must avoid indifference. We must passionately pursue the love of Christ. We must wholeheartedly engage in worship. We must give our whole selves to the Kingdom of God. We must love neighbor as self. We must seek to share the Good News of Jesus. There is no room for justification or clarification as to why you or I are excluded from these callings. The King of kings and the Lord of lords has no interest in lukewarm hearts or indifferent minds.
This truth is not meant to scare us, but instead it is meant to comfort and assure us of His great love for us. The same King of kings who has no interest in lukewarm hearts, does not have a lukewarm heart towards you. He loves you unconditionally; His love reaches far before you were born and extends far beyond your life. His heart swells with love for you. Whether you are welcoming home a newborn or in any other season of life, we are all called to avoid indifference towards God, because God is not indifferent towards us.
Grace & Peace,
Pastor Mark