I’m often reminded of what kept me away from religion and God for so long- why I avoided what my heart quietly longed for- an abiding relationship with the Divine.
I’m not a theologian nor am I ordained. This is not church doctrine. It is a personal reflection about rediscovering my faith after years of indifference, even hostility, toward the Christian message.
First, the obvious: many are justifiably put off by the loud Christian voices who mingle our faith with the toxic politics of anger, division, and judgment. But there are just as many of us who do not agree with this- who understand Jesus’s overarching message to be love and compassion, not the exact opposite.
Sin & Love
Today, like most Christians, I believe that Jesus died to reconcile our sin, but I also believe that He lived to teach us the power of love, forgiveness, and trust in the Father.
In Matthew 22, when asked what matters most, Jesus is clear:
“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
Jesus preached love as the greatest commandment, yet in many congregations, the emphasis is on our sinful nature. In those settings, the path to God begins with our failures. In our faith, we acknowledge our transgressions, confess our sins and petition the Lord for renewal. This cycle of falling short, forgiveness and grace is a bedrock of Christianity. But so is love.
For me, a focus on sin couldn’t get me to God. Love did.
God wants us close, and I believe He is overjoyed when we find our way, regardless of the path.
Which message we respond to most naturally- sin or love, may be the key to our journey. We all are calibrated differently, shaped by varied circumstances. There is power in acknowledging our shortcomings- in humility, confession, renewal, and repentance. But repentance also flows from a humility before God that springs from love and gratitude. Guilt and fear do not energize my faith. Love does.
The wages of sin are real. Poor choices separate us from God. The longer our mistakes go unaddressed, the further we drift. The more estranged we become, the easier it is to repeat those bad choices until it’s hard to tell the difference. This is the insidious nature of sin, and the beautiful power of a faith that offers unconditional forgiveness.
The Prayer of Confession, when we silently raise our transgressions and ask forgiveness, is an essential part of our worship service, but it never drowns out the message of hope and love.
Friends, God wants us close. His love is what our hearts yearn for. It is a comfort in this hardscrabble life, and He promises it is ours for the asking.
Matthew 7 tells us: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”
Find your open door and walk through it. If something is stalling your journey, listen for a call to love and see where your feet take you.
The musical pairing is “God is Love,” which is a rockin’ way of saying the same thing. Until next time, stay safe, be brave and keep walking in the light.
