Deal with it

God loves you, and there is nothing you can do about that!

David Mangan

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A Theology of Merit

I see it every day

I see it in so many ways

We have decided, somewhere, somehow

That some people are worthy

And some people are not

Worthiness is defined in so many ways

Behavior

Color

Sexual orientation

Affluence

Power

Jobs

Titles

Health

Mental health

Productivity

Beauty

Size

Talent

Beliefs

The list goes on and on and on and on and on.

And we just quickly and harshly

That person deserves care, or love, or forgiveness

Or they do not

That person is worth allowing in our country

Or not

That person is worthy giving help,

Or not

That person is worth respecting

Or not

It is amazing to me how insidious the process is

By which we choose whether to value another person or not

They support Trump!   Not valued

The are a libtard who doesn’t support Trump

Not valued

They are black, brown

Poor, ill

Immigrant

Non English speaking

NOT VALUED

It is almost a national pastime to decide who we believe should get health care

Or food stamps

Or be accepted within our borders

But is the discussion really about worth?

Or is it a discussion about fear, and greed, and other weighty things

I don’t want that brown person to get help

Because they are “undeserving” and keep some “deserving” white person from getting what they should get (it is doubtful that one person getting help precludes another needy person from getting what they want, but that is how the thinking goes)

Undeserving perhaps, really means different

And fairness is racism and elitism, and dominionism in disguise.

We play this game at so many levels

There are white collar versions.  I deserve that promotion, she doesn’t

I deserve what I earn, because I am smart and powerful and its might right

But those people at McDonalds don’t deserve a living wage

It is pervasive

And destructive

And Jesus saw it

So many people who are spiritual awake have seen it

It’s not just wrong

It’s deadly

It’s ugly

And it is anti- Jesus

Anti-Sacred

Even though we try to dress it in the clothing of religion

Right now the least Christian part of the American populace is the Christian right!

Really, I mean it!

Jesus was not ambiguous.   (Luke 14:21) 

“So the servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.”    (Luke 13:29)  “And people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at table in the kingdom of God.”

The table of grace is open for business

All are welcome

There is no theology of merit

Grace alone