Who am I to Argue?

In a recent Uplift, I share my beliefs about God, which are: “God loves us, is with us in this life, and will be with us in the next.” What I believe about Jesus and my Christian faith, is summed up very nicely in The Enduring Word Bible commentary: “Christianity is God reaching down to man in love through Christ.” That is, God reaching down to draw us closer to Him in love and forgiveness. And I figure, if the Creator of the Universe wants a closer relationship with me, who am I to argue? 

This is from 2 Corinthians 5: “God was bringing the world back to himself through Christ. He did not hold people’s sins against them. God has trusted us with the message that people may be brought back to him. So, we are Christ’s official messengers.” 

The French philosopher and writer Blaise Pascal, who in his day was also a noted mathematician, physicist, and inventor, famously writes: “There is a God shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator, made known through Jesus.” I do think that most of us long for a relationship with the divine- whether we realize it or not. The good news is that there are many ways to open our hearts to the Father. For me, prayer is important- informal and personal. Reading God’s word the Bible, of course, and church on Sunday. In my case, a house of worship with believers who prioritize inclusion, curiosity, and love. That’s what worked for me when I began searching in my early 30s, and what draws me back every Sunday.  But one size does not fit all. There are mega churches and small congregations- those who interpret Bible Scripture literally and more narrowly and those who give the Sacred Text a little room to breathe- while still keeping foremost Jesus' overarching command to love- to love God and to love each other.  As Dr. Robert Cook, a prominent, conservative evangelical preacher of the late 20^th Century, is fond of saying in his radio broadcast “Walk with the King,” “Well, we’ll just have to ask God who’s right when we get to heaven.”

I absorb a wide spectrum of preaching: from the pulpit and online, TV, radio, print- and sometimes on the street corner. To my ears, there are faithful elements in most every one of them. The preaching I go back to are the messages that draw me closer to God, lift me higher and help me apply Scripture to my day-to-day living. If the approach is angry, lacks compassion or feels fear-driven, rather than love-centric, it’s likely to turn me off. If it turns me off, I’m likely to turn it off. But I don’t stop the imperative of seeking. God wants us close, and as I say, who am I to turn down an invitation like that? There is a unique environment and path for each of us to get closer to the Father. That’s why there’s a different house of worship on every corner. Today’s song pairing is “Spokes on a Wheel.” Until next time, stay safe, be brave and keep walking in the light.

Spokes on a Wheel
Some folks are singing praises
some folks bow and kneel
we are all together
like spokes on a wheel

Some folks they are baptizing
some are shouting what they feel
we are all together
like spokes on a wheel

We’re moving toward the center
He’s moving back toward us
we are all together riding on this bus

Some folks are laying hands
some folks are getting healed
we are all together
like spokes on a wheel

It’s early Sunday morning
folks gather to share a meal
we are all together
like spokes on a wheel

So let us not love with words
but with action and in truth
not to judge or hold a grudge
but let love be our fruit