The question was once posed, "Is it better to be feared or loved?" While a thousand forgotten leaders have pondered their role in the progression of their nation, this is also a question that has been posed by Christians in relation to God: Is it better to love God or to fear Him? The answer, as is prone to be in matters concerning God, is complicated: both.
If you've ever been to Europe (which I have not, my information comes from others) something you might know is that the church buildings are very prominent in most, if not all, of the major cities that date back several hundred years. In Germany, the churches are some of the few buildings that survived the harsh bombing in World War II. These facts are not only a sign of the power of the church in those times, but also of the view of God they wanted to portray: one of a great and all-powerful God. Upon entering these buildings, one is instantly humbled by the rich art and huge scale of their architecture. Paintings on their interior invoke powerful feelings in the beholders.
Fast forward to today: most churches are not built in the same manner as they were in those former days. This, though, is not reflective of the waning power and wealth of a collective church, but more reflective of a changing focus on the attributes of God. Churches today are set in a modern style that blends in well with its surroundings. Some sanctuaries now resemble concert halls more so than houses of God. Most churches hold a variety of amenities that seemingly have no connection to the work of the Lord.
These two different styles of buildings hold very different styles of viewing God. While those of former times may have viewed God as more a powerful and vengeful God, it seems that the people of today focus more on the Loving God portrayed in the Bible. We can see this played out in many of the outlets of the Christian faith as well. Worship songs, evangelism methods, and church attendees are a very noticeable part of this viewpoint change. We can hear a lot of songs about God's love for us, but not as many that look at the awesome power and justice of God. The ever-so-cliche line that "Jesus loves you" is another sign of the pushed view that our God is a God of love (though sadly this line finds itself often used as a weapon rather than a comforting word for a brother or sister in Christ). One can also look at church congregations and see varying levels of formal wear, ranging from full suits to shorts and t-shirts.
Now, I want to take a time here to state that none of this is really a negative thing in the right context. Nor am I trying to paint the old church as the prime example to aim for (if so, maybe I need to read my own stuff). At all stages of its existence, the Church has been a flawed thing because it has been under the direction of flawed men and women. But there is a great deal of importance in the way we view God because it affects the way we serve Him.
There is a very fine line between respecting a loving God and saying that "Jesus is my homeboy." Likewise, there is also a big difference between a humble servant and a depressed, broken slave. There is a delicate balance we must find in loving God and respecting Him. The hard part of that is that this balance is loving God with all our heart and respecting Him with the same. The nice part of this, though, is that they go hand-in-hand. The more we respect the almighty creator of the universe, the more we can love Him and the more we love Him, the more we understand His great power and justice.
I write this to ensure that we do not put God in a box, because He cannot be contained by the imagination of the greatest of us. I write this to remind you that we have an amazing God who is greater than anything and everything; that there was a good reason great men tremble before God and fall prostrate before Him. I also write to remind you that this God loves you with all His heart. Remember that the next time you enter a church.
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