When they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."Then he fell on his knees and cried out, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." When he had said this, he fell asleep. Acts 7:59-60
Today’s Reading: Job 3-4; Acts 7:44-60
Man… Stephen was a G.
Yes, his speech was impressive. His knowledge was keen; but that wasn’t the most impressive part. He literally turned the other cheek as stones were flying at it.
That’s no ordinary love.
And yes, love it is. I don’t know what else it could be. What else is irrationally powerful enough to inspire someone to ask God to forgive the very people who are actively killing him?
Love is the only thing that powerful.
I just finished reading this book called “The Four Loves” by C.S. Lewis. In it he talks about what he identifies as the four kinds of love: Affection, Friendship, Eros, and Charity. Affection is a need based love, like the love that a child has for their mother. Friendship is the love shared by two people who chose to share some aspect of their lives together in a non-romantic way. Eros is romantic love that often includes expression in sexuality.
But Charity is very different. Charity is God based love. It is not based in our needs, thoughts and desires as the other three are. On the contrary, it is based on our connection to something higher.
It is fueled by God.
He uses this analogy of a garden. The three human loves are the trees and flowers and bushes, and charity is the gardener who keeps the beautiful garden in order. It prunes and cuts away so that the garden can flourish and grow.
Without this God love, he argues, the other loves cannot stand on their own for long.
He makes some really great points and of course, as with any argument, there are positions to be challenged and debated.
But, when I look at this story of Stephen, a man who so loved his killers that he spent his last breaths praying for their forgiveness… I am convinced that there is something special about the love required to take that action.
I don’t believe we can love this way on our own.
Our history is filled with such heroes; people who have dedicated their lives (and lost their lives in the process) to the betterment of mankind. I don’t know how someone decides to do that. And even if they decided so, I don’t know how they continue on and carry out the task till the end.
Maybe these folks are capable of loving more than me but I don’t really believe that to be true.
I believe that they had help, divine help, which enabled them to walk that path.
And just like Stephen they made the world a better place. That, in and of itself, is more than worth the sacrifices they suffered.
