I recently finished reading To Hell With the Hustle by Jefferson Bethke. Jefferson became well known 8 years ago when he posted a video titled “Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus.” The video has since been viewed 34 million times and changed his entire life.
His latest book was released last year and felt like one giant set up for where we are finding ourselves today–in this moment of forced slowdown, reevaluating how we do almost everything as we begin to contemplate how to possibly restart. It was a fantastic read, filled with challenging concepts and I would highly recommend it.
But there was a concept on the last page of the final chapter that really captured my attention. It’s typically not recommended that you cut and paste the final page and a half of any book, anywhere, but it’s too good for me to simply summarize. Don’t worry, no giant spoiler alert needed here. But it was quite a mic drop at the end of a powerful 179 pages.
The difference between fear and enemy-love is a difference of franticness and peace.
Fear is frantic.
Fear goes at the speed love does not.
Fear is fast. Fear is frantic. Fear is distracted.
But love?
Goes about three miles an hour.
Seriously. Three miles per hour is the average speed of someone who is walking purposefully yet gracefully.
And for some reason I see Jesus walking that speed as well. Just the right speed to intentionally take him somewhere. But also the right speed to be perfectly interrupted.
Have you ever noticed how a lot of Jesus’ miracles were not a part of his plan? They happened on his way somewhere else.
You have to go at a pace that can be interrupted. That can be responsive to the moment in front of you.
And when you are going at a pace that is in step with our Lord, don’t be surprised in empathy and enemy-love show up.
Because you can’t love someone when you are hustling. And you can’t love someone when you’re going fast. (Just ask my kids if I’m loving them well when I try to get out the door in two seconds when we are late.)
But when you say no to the hustle?
You can be stopped. You can step into the holy moment or grace. Jesus did it. He felt other people’s pain. He leaded into their space. He understood their hurt. He waited and didn’t hustle past.
He loved.
To Hell With The Hustle, Jefferson Bethke, ©2019 Thomas Nelson
Wow! I read this and realized that I’ve been outrunning love for far too long and I believe, in this season, God is calling me to slow down, not because I’m too busy, or I need to be quiet, or any of the standard assumptions that come with moving too fast–but so that love can catch up.
My prayer today is that I can get my pace into a rhythm that allows me to SHOW UP, to LOVE WELL and to BE INTERRUPTED at a moment’s notice for the good of others around me.
The speed of love. That’s a good pace for today.
—
Kevin McNeese
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