Love.

And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” 
Matthew 22:35-40

 It is about love. God's first and greatest commandment is to love. Jesus didn't hang out with prostitutes and criminals, and sit around telling them how disgusting and shameful they were. He spoke to them of love and forgiveness and accepted their affection. One word that should be stricken from the Christian vocabulary is the word abomination. Too often it is directed toward people. “Love the sinner, and hate the sin” is not a biblical concept. LOVE, period, is. (1 Peter 4:8) No one was ever reached by telling them what an unnatural abomination they were. They were reached through and by love. Jew, Gentile, gay, straight, black, white, etc. God's love is extended to all. His voice cries out to all. And he hears our cries for love and healing and acceptance.

 “Take heart. Get up, he is calling you.” (Mark 10: 49) While others rebuked Bartimaeus, Jesus responded to the blind man's call, and asked him what he wanted Jesus to do for him. “Rabbi, let me recover my sight.” and Jesus said to him: “Go your way, your faith has made you well.” He hears your cries, and sees your hurt, and his response is “Take heart. Get up, I am calling you.” “Come. I have heard your cries, come to me, and I will heal and restore that which was lost.” The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. (Psalm 145:18) “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

 Too often the scriptures are used to instill fear and tear people down. This ultimately leads to people fleeing in the other direction. The bible is meant to be a weapon against Satan and his lies, not a weapon used to bash people over the head, or to instill fear in their hearts. God is calling his people to follow Jesus' example. To hear the cries of the lost, afraid, brokenhearted, and to respond to that call with compassion, encouragement, and love. Calling them to gentleness, lowliness of heart, calling them to LOVE.