the sign on the side of the road
proclaimed a confident faith
“If God is for us who can be against us”
(actually I think the sign actually said “me”)
I see this belief everywhere
and I rejoice
I see this belief everywhere
and I mourn
I firmly believe God is for “us”
but I think it is important
how your define “us”
and how you define “them”
this one statement says a lot
about how we think of God
a lot
I do believe God is for us
meaning “all people”
but in using these words many narrow God down to a
“tribal god”
If God is for us……
those who think like us
look like us
dress like us
speak like us
believe like us
it is the same as saying God is not for “them”
if God is for us…..
then we will win
we will have the power
we will dominate
and the idea that God will help us conquer
and oppress
becomes the believe that we have the right to
conquer and oppress
we can oppress those people
who do not look like us
dress like us
speak like us
believe like us
we can attack them
hate them
ridicule them
legislate again them
and yes,
even kill them
if God is for us
who can be against us….
Paul suggests, in Romans
that our enemies can come in many forms
and that some of our most powerful enemies
may come from
within
we have met the enemy
and they are us
we must always remember that God is also
of necessity
saving us from ourselves
I believe that when we go back to a tribal god
and see god in
a narrow way
and see enemies as merely external
we violate
the way of Christ
who included in his ministry
who included among his followers
who reached out to
the clearest enemies of his faith
as defined by his religion
we violate the way of Christ
who loved and healed and accepted
Samaritans
Romans
Tax collectors
and men and women of “ill repute” (of all kinds)
We violate the way of Christ who
God help us is for
All
I love the sign
“If God is for us”
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