Mystery of Grace

I do not understand the mystery of grace -- only that it meets us where we are and does not leave us where it found us.”

― Anne Lamott

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I do not understand the mystery of grace

I also do not understand the theology of retribution

the other day a group of us were having a conversation

about a congress-something from Texas who shall not

be named, and his religious rant about hell

I was already mystified by the preoccupation with

Rightness and wrongness

The focus on inclusion and exclusion

“Us” and “Them”

The blessed and the cursed

When a response appeared on the thread

“cos theres no repentance cos there is no sin...there,s no fear of God cos there's no destruction...and every body's saved and going to Heaven regardless....really ? Lets just love them all.. really ?”

one can argue around the theological details all one wants

but I could not help but think about the key words

ah those key words that tell us so much about our faith

so

repentance (God is for you only after you realize you are a piece if shit.  Only then will God begin to work in your life.  It may be me, but seems Jesus loves first)

sin (for sure, people need to realize they have things about them that could improve.  EVERYONE I know is a narcissist and is WAY to full of themselves.  No one thinks, “I am not enough”  No one.  Well, except about 100% of the people I see in my role as a counselor

fear (and this person is not talking about “awe”.  Realizing God is really really BIG, and amazing.  No, this is a cowering in the corner cause “dad is going to come after me with the belt” fear)

destruction (this is of course the final goal of God’s love and righteousness, right??  Destruction.  Turn or Burn.   Its almost a giddy, dancing with glee around the noose as the “bad person” gets what is coming to them kind of obsession)

but what really hit me was the final phrase.  “Let’s just love them all.. really”?

Yes

REALLY!

That is grace

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a side note.  If a person doesn’t end up in “heaven” (whatever that means)

its not a physical place however, so forget the streets of gold

any references to the Kingdom refer to this place we call earth

it is because they might be able to choose not to be there

not because God isn’t going to let them in

yes, even that congressman from Texas who votes to cut

support for the poor and hungy

 

Yep, even him!

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as for me

the key words I would like to focus on are:

love

presence 

communion

reconciliation

"Yes, lets just love them all,  really!"