Skip to main content

God Loves You. Period!

I often leave the TV on for my dog when I leave the house. Yesterday, a TV preacher came up on the screen. I usually don't pay that much attention as I'm leaving but his words (of course it's an old, white man, telling us what the Bible says) struct me and made me sad that this was the teaching being shared with a large audience. 

The preacher kept saying that "God loves you but 'he' loves the faithful more." "God loves you but 'he' loves those fighting for God more." He had a whole litany of these sayings. A few also had the word "but" in them. "God love you but only if..." It was clear that there was a mandate of being their version of Christian. The list made it clear that it was either this or that - an all or nothing to being loved by God. 

I cringe at this because if this were the truth about God and God's love - I don't think anyone would be loved by God. Of course, the preacher had all kinds of proof texts to support his message of this conditional love from God. Too bad this man didn't look at the bigger picture of scripture and the Christian faith because he would have seen that he was misreading the text. 

Most of his Bible quotes contained prepositional phrases and additional punctuation that's not there or part of the Christian faith. Let's start with the idea that all of creation is created good. Going back to the litany contained in Gensis chapter 1, it is clear that at the end of each day of creation that God pronounces it good. Period. There are no conditions or terms. All of creation is made good and therefore is worthy. Then let's move unto talking about Jesus and his ministry. Jesus came and expanded the circle of who gets to be included to add everyone. There was no limitations or conditions for loving God. It didn't matter where you came from, your gender, who you loved and so many other things. Jesus said God's love was for everyone. The epistles demonstrate a growth and expansion of the Church/faith. 

So all of this is to say - we are not to add additional phrases to God's love We don't get to add terms and conditions - God's love is not like your Apple terms and conditions. The fact of the matter is God loves you. This is the Good News - short, simple and sweet. God loves you. It's a radical thing that it's just so simple and pure. We can't remove it from others or ourselves. It just is. It's always there. We can choose to accept it or not but God's love never leaves us. 

Let's spend more embodying and sharing this Good News in a world that doesn't always share this idea. In a world that wants to twist God's words to fit a particularly narrow version of a faith that is so big and vast, let us proclaim that the Good News is simple - God loves you. And if no one else has told you today - I love you too.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

I'm a Pastor and I'm Fat

For new readers and those who don't know me, I'm fat. Medically labeled "morbidly obese." I have always been fat since I can remember. It's a multifaceted part of my reality: it's part my choice, part genetics. I am well aware that I need to work on this. I'm reminded every time I go to the doctor: need a flu shot - you're fat. Have an ear infection - you're fat. Cat bite - discharge instructions start with you're morbidly obese (I'm not kidding). You lost weight and still think something's off - loose more weight. I have been working on addressing my weight and have managed to loose and keep off just under 80 pounds. Do I still have a lot more weight to loose? Yup. I didn't become this size overnight and taking this off won't happen overnight either. A few weeks ago, a friend stopped by to visit me on their journey to vacation. As they were preparing to leave, I get stopped and asked to sit. I was told that they're concerne...
Post a Comment
Read more

A Pastor's Take on Project 2025

It's getting close to the 2024 elections and I'm tired. American society seems to be crumbling, and I feel that regardless of how things play out, it's going "to get real." But nevertheless, it's time for me to speak out on Project 2025. I have tried for months to read the document because I want to be informed. But there is not enough blood pressure medicine in the world to allow me to read it all. It boils my blood, and I argue it should most Christian's as well. When you go to the Project 2025 website it opens with "Project 2025 is a historic movement, brought together by over 100 respected organizations from across the conservative movement, to take down the Deep State and return the government to the people." What is the Deep State? As far as I know there is no Deep State but let's scare people into thinking there is. Who are these 100 respected organizations? They are organizations like the American Family Association, Family Policy All...
Post a Comment
Read more

10 Commandments in Classrooms

In June 2024. Louisiana Governor, Jeff Landry, signed a bill that requires the 10 Commandments, along with other historical documents, be displayed in all state funded K-12 and university classrooms by 2025. While this seems like a harmless thing and a way to strengthen or bring back the "moral fabric" of America, I stand in opposition to this law and the similar bills that are floating around several states. First - I have a hard time claiming the Protestant, Christian bible as a historical document. While some of the stories contained in the bible can be found in other accounts, that are in fact historical documents, the bible as a whole is not historical. As we know the Protestant, Christian bible - it is not in chronical order. There are multiple accounts of several stories within the bible. And from what scholars have found, the authors of the Protestant, Christian bible never claimed to be documenting history. They are sharing their experiences and trying to answer ques...
Post a Comment
Read more