You can be a person who has a passion for God,
And be biblically centered,
And still be an enemy of Jesus
It was true when Jesus was physically on earth (think
Pharisees and Sadducees)
It is true now (think many American “christians”)
In Jesus time, those who were stuck in a place
where they could not hear the words of Jesus and follow
had some specific things in common
They were into merit and power
They were into exceptionalism and exclusion
They were into purity (ethnic and religious)
Jesus was into grace and servanthood
He was into incarnation, being in the mix, and into
inclusion
He was into welcome
So these people
These people who were immersed in the religious system
And who thought they were on God’s side
And, in their mind’s eye, honored and protected God and
God’s way
Were actually violating the way of God
They were stumbling blocks
In the end they not only rejected Jesus
They helped kill him
In the name of God
Based upon the Bible
You can be a person who has a passion for God,
And be biblically centered,
And still be an enemy of Jesus
The litmus test is simple
Love
Love extended and lived out
To those who are different
To those who make us uncomfortable
Because of the color of their skin
The language they speak
The faith they hold
The sexual orientation they were born with
To those who are inconvenient
Because they are poor
Or addicted
Or have am mental illness
Or are ill
The litmus test is whether we choose
Humility and service over
Exceptionalism and power (over)
Whether money, and ideology, and safety
Are more important than people.
So let us keep it simple
As we face complex things
Let us keep it simply as we think about immigrants
And people who are LGBTQI
People who are old
People who are ill
People who are disturbed
Let us keep it simple
As we face people who speak different languages
Hold different creeds
Let us keep it simple
When people are uncomfortable and inconvenient
“My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other
since love comes from God.”
(I John 4)
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