Stopping Sloppy Agape – Loving those among us for the long haul.
I'm on a crusade to end what I call "sloppy agape." In 25 years of urban compassionate ministry experience I see churches, ministries, and good people fall into this trap over and over again. In our attempt to be politically correct and because we're afraid of offending anyone, we give out the goods without the good news. We give out bread without also offering the bread of life. We practice social compassion without offering spiritual solutions.
"Sloppy Agape" happens when we disconnect the methods of compassion from Jesus' message of hope and salvation. It happens when we have not fully thought out our theology and practice of why we do compassion. If we simply give out the goods without offering the good news, we are no different than all the other social welfare efforts. People will remain hungry and lost. "Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word of God." (Luke 4:4)