Craig Gross is the founder and leader of XXXchurch and the co-author of the new book Jesus Loves You This I Know. Recently, he and some friends visited Westboro Baptist Church, a group known nationally for their outspoken opposition to homosexuality and their frequent protests at the funerals of American soldiers.
Today, I, Jason, and two of our friends rolled in to Topeka to start the Jesus Loves You book tour. With Westboro Baptist, the bastion of hate, as our first stop, the unknown swirled in our car. For both Jason and I, awkward environments are not new. In fact, we like them. But something was different. Nervousness gnawed at us, only to later be identified as utter confusion. Normally when we go into venues uninvited, the people look, act, think, and speak different than us. We maintain civility despite our differences and in most, if not all, cases, relational equity is increased. But loving those that hate is hard.
Question 1: How can we purpose for tolerance if we were not willing to be tolerant?
When walking into a church, it is normal to see people carrying familiar items; bibles, etc. Most of the time, people in church speak in a familiar tone using familiar words. In the message portion of a service, they speak on familiar Scriptures. But at Westboro, it looked like a church from the outside, but on the inside, it spewed hate, fear of people, and out-of-context rhetoric that ‘Daddy Phelps’ has vomited for 62 years. Looking into hollow shells of confused souls made a certain coldness highly visible—a coldness in the soul.
Question 2: Do they really believe this stuff?
I don’t know. My interaction was focused mostly on two Phelps. Shirley Phelps and her daughter were very cordial, kind, and even somewhat hospitable. It was as if something inside of them was screaming to be released. They laughed with us, not at us. They were obliging of all of our questions. They joked with us. As whacked out as we both thought they were, they thought the same of us. Shirley said I needed to cut his hair and I needed to get rid of my earrings. We expected that. But the basis of their belief is so fundamentally flawed and tattooed on their brainwashed souls, even though a civil conversation prevailed, I doubt there was any traction. In fact, we didn’t go there to convert them. We went there to take the first step in saying, “We came to your church to listen in respect.” Maybe someday, one of their kids will do the same.
Question 3: Wasn’t going to Westboro a waste of time?
No. In fact, we had an opportunity to get a front row seat in their den of deception. We don’t hate them. We are instructed to love them. I would not call them an enemy. Again, they were kind to us one on one. Yet even if someone considered then an enemy, Jesus said, “Love your enemy.” Today, we did. When love is offered or exhibited, it is never a waste—even if the hand is closed. The Topeka paper did an incredible story on our reason for being in Kansas. Local 13 News did an evening piece. In both cases, people of Kansas and beyond were able to see hope in a place they normally hear hate.
Craig Gross and Jason Harper
As we wrapped in Topeka, we got word that the Westboro family was going to picket Adam Lambert (a gay musician and American Idol finalist) at the American Idol Summer Concert in Kansas City. The team and I decided to show up with our own signs that our friend Laura in San Francisco had made and sent ahead of us. We figured we would use them at the Westboro service, but that didn’t happen other than when the news wanted to see them.
Rolling into downtown Kansas City, Jason was a little hesitant. He wasn’t concerned about Westboro, only that we would be seen as “being with them” by those attending the concert. Maybe they would not read our signs. Maybe they would wrongfully lump us into the Phelps clan. While walking on the street in front of the American Idol venue, the girls from Westboro walked passed us. They didn’t want us to see them. Like clockwork, they pulled out their signs and started to degrade the Scriptures with hate-filled rhetoric. Within moments, the crowd started to curse at them. We pulled out our “Jesus Loves” signs and stood in the street. Love cannot remain silent in the midst of hate. Neither could we.
After about an hour of trying to show others that Westboro doesn’t represent God, a group of people came up and asked to take some pictures with us. We chatted for a bit about the fact that we feel God loves Adam Lambert. The group had backstage passes and were going to a meet-and-greet with Adam. We quickly signed a Jesus Loves You This I Know book with these words:
Adam,
While some came to tell you of God’s hate, we came to defend you with God’s love. Love never fails. Love overcomes hate … Ask Danny and Kris (Note: Danny Gokey and Kris Allen are two well-known American Idol participants who are devout Christians), they’ll agree.
Much hope,
Jason and Craig
They agreed to give it to him. A few minutes later, from within the convert, a massive amount of people started tweeting while using the tag #Godhateshate. The trend started to soar on Twitter. Within 30 minutes, #Godhateshate was the number one trending topic on all of Twitter. People were referencing the guys outside defending Adam. People blasted Westboro. For more than 90 minutes, #Godhateshate was number one on Twitter. In an hour, 35,000 tweets that included that tag had gone through. Insane.
The next morning, we saw that Adam Lambert posted on his Twitter account: “Thank you all for the support. Love overcomes hate. Love has no color. Love has no orientation. All is love. 
”
Was it in reference to our support? Was it a coincidence that he concurred with our statement of love overcoming hate? We’ll never know if he got the book. Regardless, love works and it waits.
Until then,
Craig
Craig Gross and Jason Harper are the authors of Jesus Loves You This I Know, available now wherever books are sold, and are currently on a two-month tour supporting the book. The tour is taking them to places like Westboro Baptist Church, Folsom Prison, gay pride events, and many others. Get more info at www.jesuslovesyou.net.