I used to hate country music. Fortunately, I grew up in the Chicago area where country radio stations were scarce (at least they were back then) so I could easily avoid listening to it. But then I moved down to Southern Illinois and began dating someone who regularly listened to country music. Because I loved him, and because many of my friends down here also liked country music, I started to listen as well. And I started to appreciate some of the artists. And eventually I started to like some of it.
I've never fired a real gun in my life. If I had to shoot an animal for food in order to stay alive, I would likely die of starvation. But my son loves to hunt. He would do it everyday if he could. And I love my son. So I've learned quite a few things about hunting and guns and deer (I'll even eat deer meat, if it's disguised in sausage).
I knew very little about the game of soccer, until my daughter became the "keeper." Suddenly I wanted to learn everything I could about this game -- sweeper, mid-field, forward, wing-back, off-sides, corner kick, penalty kick -- all new to me, but I'm learning. I'm learning, because my daughter is the goalie and I love her.
Justin Bieber? Really? OK, so my other daughter loved Justin (thankfully she's grown out of this stage!). As hard as it was, I started to listen to his music. And as hard as it is to admit now, I actually liked some of it. I liked it, because my daughter loved it. I invested my time and energy into the Bieb's music because I love my daughter.
When we truly love someone we look for ways to get to know them better. One of the best ways to get to know someone is to discover what they love and then invest our time in that. We value others by showing them that their interests, their dreams, their passions are all important to us. What inspires them, inspires us as well. What is close to their heart becomes close to ours as well. That is, if we truly love them.
I've changed in many ways over the years because of the people in my life. I've come to appreciate a multitude of things -- music, sports, art, coffee, poetry, photography, and yes, even Justin Bieber -- because I've encountered people with different interests than mine and I wanted to get to know them better.
I love Jesus Christ. But what is the measure of that love? If my greatest desire is to follow Jesus as closely as I can and to truly live my life as a demonstration of my love for Him, how do I best accomplish that? I believe one way is to strive to know as much about Him as I possibly can.
What is Jesus passionate about?
What inspires Him?
What are some of His greatest interests?
What is closest to His heart?
I think I know some of the answers to those questions, but there is still so much more to know. And I want to know, because I want to love the things that Jesus loves. I want to be inspired by the things that inspire Jesus. I want to be moved by the things that move Jesus.
Jesus is passionate about the poor, the sick, those on the margins, the forgotten. Jesus seeks out those who are outcasts. Jesus values the very people that many of us see as unimportant or worthless -- or worse still, we don't even see them at all.
If Jesus is God in the flesh, then to know Jesus is to know God. To know the heart of Jesus, is to know the heart of God. I am seeking to know. And after knowing, may I have the courage and the resolve to be changed -- to actually DO SOMETHING with that knowledge.
