Love Is Not In A Vacuum
January 11th, 2007 | by Scott |Tracy and I work hard to teach our children the values that we hold dear. That’s pretty difficult. They hear words from other people that we don’t want them to say. They learn things that we never taught them. They pick stuff up that we wish they wouldn’t. It’s the way of the world.
For example, I took two weeks off over the Christmas holidays. As it worked out we were in town both of those weeks. One night in the car, I asked Chloe where she wanted to go to church on Sunday.
Her answer was immediate, “I want to go to my church.”
I then tried to explain to her that when I am on vacation we don’t go to our home congregation. So she responded, “I don’t care. But it has to be a Church of Christ.”
That is not anything she has ever heard from us. But she got it somewhere.
I was raised in a loving family. My parents taught me the love of Christ from an early age. They have been the examples of unconditional love that has placed within me the desire to be a Christian, a minister, a loving husband and a father.
I am who I am because of them. And I owe them the deepest debt of gratitude for teaching me love.
But…I was not raised in a vacuum. I learned elsewhere that love, for most, was conditional.
I learned colorful terms for people who looked or acted differently.
I learned that “disfellowshipped” people should not be talked to if encountered in public places.
I learned to kick, hit, pinch and scream.
Home was a haven from all of that. It was where I truly began to see that there was more to love than what the world and far too often, the church, displayed. It wasn’t perfect, but it can’t be.
Here is part of an important realization: we can’t fully teach love. God IS love. And that’s way too big of a concept for us to ever comprehend. Let alone teach.
I will never get my mind around the love of God. It’s too big. I’ll always underestimate it.
I will never fully teach my children the love of God. It’s too vast. I’ll always undersell it.
That’s not failure. It’s just that I “see in a mirror dimly…I know in part” the love of God.”
But I must endeavor to teach my children to the fullness of my understanding. Just as my parents did.
And I hope and pray that through my life, my teaching, my example they see and touch the face of God.
For God IS love.
11 Responses to “Love Is Not In A Vacuum”
By Donna on Jan 11, 2007 | Reply
I remember being so upset when my children would show some signs of being prejudiced that I knew that had not learned from me. Some time the job of parenting seems bigger than what we can do.
But showing love and grace may be the only way to teach it….you and Tracy are doing good.
By SG on Jan 11, 2007 | Reply
So where DID you go? Just curious!
By Scott on Jan 11, 2007 | Reply
Donna, parenting scares me on a daily basis.
SG, we went to the UCOC in Robinson and Highland.
By jasonk on Jan 12, 2007 | Reply
Parenting gets really hard when they turn 13. Then when they get to be 18 or 19, it starts getting better again. The key is to love them, no matter what. I used to not like the CSN song “Teach Your Children Well,” due to the line, “don’t you even ask them why, when they tell you you would cry, just look at them and sigh, and know they love you.” But when you have teenagers, you understand that. I always told their mom, “lets just love them through this.” And it worked. They’ve turned out to be pretty good kids. Not perfect, and not always where I want them to be, but we are closer today than we’ve ever been, and I like that.
My only question is, why didn’t you go to a different denomination when you had the chance? If that’s too personal, just say the word, and I will understand.
By Scott on Jan 12, 2007 | Reply
Jason, what do you mean? Do you mean go to a different denomination when I was on vacation? I did.
Or do you mean go to a different denomination permanently? That’s a longer story.
By Jason Bybee on Jan 12, 2007 | Reply
Great post, Scott. We vastly underestimate God’s love. We can scarcely even comprehend it. But the more I see, the more His love overwhelms me and draws something holy out of me. I want to love as He loves. That should be the goal every day of my life.
By jasonk on Jan 12, 2007 | Reply
I meant while on vacation. You said that you went to the UCOC–is that different that the COC? Maybe its the United Church of Christ? Those liberal universalists! Here in T-town, we just call them UCC. Sorry if I misunderstood.
By Scott on Jan 12, 2007 | Reply
Yep, that’s the one. It was pretty traditional, believe it or not.
The other was Highland Baptist.
I really like being able to check out a wide variety of places when I am able.
By greg on Jan 12, 2007 | Reply
I think my nephew (who is a freshman at Baylor) is attending Highland Baptist.
By Tracy on Jan 12, 2007 | Reply
When I read the title, I totally thought you were going to make fun of my love of vaccums and lust for the Dyson.
By scott on Jan 12, 2007 | Reply
It’s not your love of vacuums but all kinds of floor cleaners in general that sorta weirds me out.