Today, Oct 13. we had a family come to our Drill Field in the name of Christianity hollering out condemnation at us. My hope is that with this letter I can put a bandaid on what these people have broken. My name is Abby Brightwell. I am a freshman this year and I am from Texas. I am a Christian. Proudly. I want to tell you something that wasn’t told to you today by the people on our Drill Field. This is the Gospel, my friends. God created the world and all that is in it. (Genesis 1) Satan, who is a fallen angel, came and convinced human kind (Eve) to sin against God. (Genesis 3) This is when creation was broken. We call this “the fall.”
At this point sin entered into all aspects of life and it became our human nature to sin. Now the story isn’t over there, nor does it peak there. God, because He loves His creation so much, He in His goodness and in His justness and power sent His son Jesus Christ to earth to live a life as fully God and fully man and take the burden of all of humans sins. He did so beautifully and with grace. He took our sin, lived a life free of sin and died the death that we deserve. (Matthew 27, Mark 15, Luke 23, John 19) He rose from the dead and is now seated with God for all eternity and He is our judge. (Matthew 18, Mark 16, Luke 24, John 20. Luke 22:69) Not the people on the Drill Field. Not our president. Not fellow Christians. God is the judge. (James 4:17) He is the only judge.
I am different from the people on our Drill Field and I feel I represent a large number of other Christians because I believe God is love and that is the main point in His story. Our job is, to go out boldly and confidently with love to reach “the lost” aka “people who aren’t Christians,” but in to do that we are supposed to go and represent our God of love and tell the story that He wrote. Not just the rules.
In regards to the rules, I agree with the rules in the Bible and I agree with the rules we heard today on our Drill Field, but that’s not the starting place. The starting place is God. It all points to God. I have one illustration before I wrap up this letter. Let’s look at Christianity as a household, a family. When someone is in the family they have to follow the house rules right? Yes. But someone who isn’t in the family doesn’t have to follow the house rules. But if someone is going to enter into the house, they have to agree to those house rules and follow them. I don’t want you to get me wrong, I don’t believe in a sugary version of Christianity where there are no rules, but I also don’t believe in a Christianity routed in fear. I believe that we can look to our creator and see what love He has for us and in return love him and want to follow His house rules (because we see that He wrote them for our good). So to the gay students who felt shamed today I’m sorry, my god loves you. To the cheater today that felt hurt, I’m sorry, my God loves you. To those who saw this and thought it was foolish, my god loves you. To the teacher, cafeteria worker, average student or any wanderer today who felt anything but love, I am sorry, my God loves you.
The bottom line is this: Yes, we are sinners but, “God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8). This is the base of the Christian faith. The part that is up to us is whether or not we accept it. If we accept Christ then we are born again and are a part of the family of Christ. That is what the goal of the people on the Drill Field was today, to get you to the family of Christ, and that is what my goal is as well, but I am telling you God’s story along with His rules. I want you to know the “why” behind the “what” and the freedom that comes in Christ. I hope that this letter can put to words what a lot of Christians were thinking and give peace to a lot of people who felt damned. Our God is a good God and our God wants every person to see His love for him or her and respond in love for Him in return.
