The god of Love

Just doing my usual perusing on pop culture on YouTube. I started out watching the awkward interview with Letterman and Joaquin Pheonix only to find myself watching an interview between Bill O'Reilly and Marilyn Manson.

I have to admit ignorance on my level of Manson expertise. All I know is that he has a controversial history in the music industry and a cult following in my high school sculpting class. I also know that he scares the piss out of most mainstream Christians...or at least weirds them out enough to make a "Christian" song like "Marilyn Manson Ate My Girlfriend" popular.

Knowing only this, I was surprised to view a well-spoken, almost responsible demeanor from Manson. Impressed by this image, I continued my googling to see if I could find out his spiritual beliefs, if any. Most websites said he was an atheist, but not necessarily against Christianity, though his lyrics attempt to challenge the beliefs on those who do ascribe to faith.

Here's one of those anti-Christian teaching quotes that caused me to think for a minute or two: "When you’re taught to love everyone, to love your enemies, then what value does that place on love?”

Initially it does challenge you... until you realize that this question assumes something entirely against Biblical teaching: that love is worthy of value.

I was reading the quote section of my friend Dustin's facebook and it had an awesome quote by Clive Staples Lewis: "Love ceases to be a demon, when he ceases to be a god."

Ask any Christian if love is worth value and they will tell you "of course" without realizing the trap they've just walked in to.

On the contrary, love is NOT worthy of value. Love is an act that SHOWS value.

The Old Testament is full of stories of God's people choosing to serve other gods rather than the God who led them out of slavery. This was called idolatry, and the first commandment warned against it. Thousands of years later, God's people (and everyone else) still struggle with the worship of gods that aren't really gods...they are idols. The most sly of these idols are the ones that look the most "Christian." Love looks like a Christian concept, but it ends up stabbing the Christians in back that decide to worship love instead of worshipping God WITH it.

Infinitely more important than showing love is WHO you show love to. If you spend your entire life loving a paperclip...and I mean REALLY loving this paperclip, have you been a loving person? Isn't that a valuable love just like any other? Of course not.

Love is not the goal. God is the goal, and love is the path. When love is the goal, you settle for a lot less than you were meant to experience. Like the picture C.S. Lewis once painted: it's like a child wanting to stay in a sandbox to play with with mud pies when his parents are trying to get him to come on a caribean cruise. He has no clue what he's missing in exchange for a pile of filth.

With his question, Marilyn assumes a basic pagan belief that love is a god (among others). That's accurate for atheists, but his question posed against Christian beliefs, assumes idolatry. That tells me he probably hasn't met many real disciples of Jesus...and knowing that burdens me. I can only pray that he will meet people who are sincere in their faith so that he can see a real picture of redemption.

So what is the answer to Manson's question? "When you’re taught to love everyone, to love your enemies, then what value does that place on love?”

The answer is "not much, and that's okay." That concept places no value on love…it places value on people. Love shouldn't have value. People have value.

Love was not intended to be an object to be worshiped, it is an act that reveals who or what you worship...and you cannot withhold love from people without withholding it from God.

(1 John 4:20) If a man says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar

Is there anyone out there who loves all people like God does? NO, but that's the point. Christianity is not about achieving...its about trusting. We trust the Lord to put us in positions that will allow us to grow our faith and love. We trust the Lord to forgive us, when we find that there is hatred in our hearts. Then God receieves all the credit, and we become his adopted children. I don't see any other aspiration more worthy than simply becoming part of God's family. Let's pray that the Mansons of the world can see past the fakes and lies to see Jesus.

The way I see it, there is no one more likely to come to faith in Christ than those who challenge it the most.