Our line in the sand is clear.
Love compromised is faith denied.
Steven
Charleston
___________________________
If we can recite bible verses without end
If we have memorized a catechism perfectly
If our theology is immaculate
If we hold vast to the social norms of our ancestors
Deeming them holy (indeed)
If we loudly proclaim that we are for
Family values
and are pro-life
If we thump a “God Bless the USA Bible”
And arrogantly push our faith
As “the faith”
If we brag and boast
And post short reels of Christianity
Strutting its stuff
But have not love
We are denying our faith!
If we protest for Gaza
and stand up for women
and the marginalized
and make noises
about feeding the hungry
and clothing the naked
and housing the homeless
and protecting the vulnerable
but forget to love
we are denying our faith.
Words are words
Creeds are creeds
Values are values
They may speak of love, insist on love, tout love
But they are not love
Love is not insisting on “our own way”
It is not controlling or coercing
It cannot be legislated
Or imposed at gunpoint
Love never stirs up hate for the sake
Of power or wealth
Or even “rightness”
Love does not follow leaders whose power comes from hate
Love is a blanket
A place to stay
Love is respect
listening
giving
serving, caring
feeling
Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or
boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not
irritable; it keeps no record of wrongs; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing but
rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all
things, endures all things.
Faith enables us to love
Love is the fruit of faith
Do we believe enough in God (who is love)
Do we feel safe enough in God
Do we trust God enough
To love?
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