An Open Letter to Westboro Baptist Church

February 20, the Year of Our Lord, 2014

An Open Letter to Westboro Baptist Church

from the desk of greg fisher,

42 years on this earth, a born again Christian for over 33 years

Dear Westboro Baptist Church,

I would like to quote 1 Chorinthians, Chapter 13, King James Version, though I much prefer a modern translation, as the words of our Savior were not spoken in archaic English, for the Word of God is meant to be understood:

13 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
And a bit later in the chapter:

13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

The greatest of these..............is Love.

I must ask a question that I'm certain you must be asked frequently. Where is your Love?

In John, Chapter 4, we see Jesus, himself, whom you claim to serve and to emulate, meeting a Samaritan woman, who lived in sin and shame. Did our Lord and Savior rail against her, screaming her sins in her face, shouting that she was bound for hell? No. He met her face to face, in Love, never calling her lifestyle acceptable, but never alienating nor condemning her. No, He offered her Living Water. He offered her Love, and forgiveness:

10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
11 The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?
12 Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?
13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
15 The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.

And she accepted His offer. That's not all, many believed because of the Love Jesus showed the Samaritan woman:

39 And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did.
40 So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days.
41 And many more believed because of his own word;

More believed. The Love He showed and the Living Water He offered to this sinful woman were an open door to many more believing. Are your protests such an open door? There are so many instances where Jesus met “publicans and sinners” in their element, and He met them with Love. For the greatest of these.............is Love.

I ask you again. Where is your Love? The world is looking to you and seeing, only and always, condemnation, taunting, harassment, even hate. Jesus showed none of these attributes. So I ask you again. Where is your Love? Call a sin a sin, I concur completely. But meet the sinners of this world, and that includes you and me, with Love. It was and is the Love and Sacrifice of Jesus Christ that Saves. Not hatred and vehemence. When you met the Savior, if you've met the Savior, was He screaming in your face, railing against you as you grieved the loss of a loved one? I'm certain that the answer to that is an emphatic No. In Ephesians 4, we are told to “Speak the truth in Love.” In Love, I say again. So speak the Truth......yes! But speak it in Love. And I ask again. Where is your Love?

I have heard that you are planning to protest the Candlelight Vigil in honor of 10 year old Hailey Owens, stolen from her street in Springfield, Missouri, and murdered a few days ago. So many in that city are deeply in mourning over this unspeakable event, many of them, heartfelt Christian men, women, and children. Heartbroken in this hour. So, I ask you again. Where is your Love? How many of your protests, as this one would be, are protests that greatly grieve your own brothers and sisters in Christ? Many. From John 13:

34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

Many you'll be harassing Saturday are passionate, devoted Christians. Will you show them Love? You must see that you've lost your way, lost your calling, lost your mandate. What you're shining is not Light. You are not seasoning as Salt. You are not only encouraged in the inerrant word of God to Love, you are commanded to Love, by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Commanded. I ask again, with tears in my eyes, tears for you in my eyes, Where is your Love?

Please do not come to Springfield Saturday to protest the vigil. There's no Love in such an act. None. Where is your Love?

greg fisher