I believe we best show Christ's love to us by showing that love to others, that we are called to be servants helping those around us. We are to show love and compassion to everyone, but to not be pulled into the World and into popular politically correct ideals and shallow behaviors. I'm not interested in the angry, political God that many Christians cling to; God is not a weapon to be wielded like a club at any and all of those you disagree with. I don't think God wants us all to be wealthy yuppie suburbanites either. I am equally uninterested in the heresy of the watered down fluffy genie style god who is only supposed to exist to give us what we ask for; that is a cheap god, a tawdry god, one who exists to make religious salesmen wealthy.
God is so much more than that. He is immense, holy, righteous; as CS Lewis said of Aslan, "He is not a tame lion." God is not tame, not controllable, but richer, greater and more awe inspiring than we can imagine.
He wants us to remember that He is love and that He doesn't fit in the small boxes we try and cram Him into. He's bigger than our understanding. When God says that He is love, can we even comprehend how great that love is? Can we grasp how deep His mercy goes, how far His compassion reaches?
We're not supposed to have all the answers, we're supposed to enjoy asking the questions and learning the answers as we're ready to receive them.
I think God wants us to see His image in each and every person we encounter; both the lovely lady at the check out line and the drunk on the street- and He wants us to love them both. He wants us to live in a world of wonder and mystery, reveling in His grace and giving that grace to others....and to ourselves. I believe it is a Christian's duty to help the poor and needy, be compassionate to the elderly and weak, to help the young succeed and to take care of the planet God has entrusted to us.
I saw a memorial piece for a well known Christian Evangelical leader last year, written by her son, in which he described her as a paradox. Someone who was a firm believer in conservative Christianity, but who loved people with the love of the most liberal of progressive Christians.
I thought about that, and that is how I hope I am. I firmly believe in Christ, the Triune Godhead, the teachings of the Bible, the foundations of the Church. My faith isn't an abstract issue with me, it is fully part of who I am. As much a part of me as my mind, my heart or my skin. It is interwoven into all that I am.
But I have friends and family who are of other faiths, or no faith. Who have wildly different political views and worldviews. I have gay friends. And I love them all. They are all treasured by Charles and I. Our hearts and hearth are open to them, our table always has room for one more setting. We may not agree on everything, or see the world the same way on all topics, but that doesn't lessen how important they are, or how loved they are.
This doesn't contradict my faith. My faith enhances this view. Because Christ loved all who came to be with Him, He dined and conversed with all of the people the religious establishment found undesirable. The religious establishment then, and now, neglected to recall we are all fashioned by God, in His image, and are all precious.
So my dear friends and family, as many of you already know, even if your faith, worldview, sexual orientation, politics or whatever is different than mine, that doesn't change the fact I love you and value you. My faith doesn't diminish you in my eyes, it enhances you.
May you be blessed, my friends, and may you be a blessing unto someone else,
Beth Butler
God is so much more than that. He is immense, holy, righteous; as CS Lewis said of Aslan, "He is not a tame lion." God is not tame, not controllable, but richer, greater and more awe inspiring than we can imagine.
He wants us to remember that He is love and that He doesn't fit in the small boxes we try and cram Him into. He's bigger than our understanding. When God says that He is love, can we even comprehend how great that love is? Can we grasp how deep His mercy goes, how far His compassion reaches?
We're not supposed to have all the answers, we're supposed to enjoy asking the questions and learning the answers as we're ready to receive them.
I think God wants us to see His image in each and every person we encounter; both the lovely lady at the check out line and the drunk on the street- and He wants us to love them both. He wants us to live in a world of wonder and mystery, reveling in His grace and giving that grace to others....and to ourselves. I believe it is a Christian's duty to help the poor and needy, be compassionate to the elderly and weak, to help the young succeed and to take care of the planet God has entrusted to us.
I saw a memorial piece for a well known Christian Evangelical leader last year, written by her son, in which he described her as a paradox. Someone who was a firm believer in conservative Christianity, but who loved people with the love of the most liberal of progressive Christians.
I thought about that, and that is how I hope I am. I firmly believe in Christ, the Triune Godhead, the teachings of the Bible, the foundations of the Church. My faith isn't an abstract issue with me, it is fully part of who I am. As much a part of me as my mind, my heart or my skin. It is interwoven into all that I am.
But I have friends and family who are of other faiths, or no faith. Who have wildly different political views and worldviews. I have gay friends. And I love them all. They are all treasured by Charles and I. Our hearts and hearth are open to them, our table always has room for one more setting. We may not agree on everything, or see the world the same way on all topics, but that doesn't lessen how important they are, or how loved they are.
This doesn't contradict my faith. My faith enhances this view. Because Christ loved all who came to be with Him, He dined and conversed with all of the people the religious establishment found undesirable. The religious establishment then, and now, neglected to recall we are all fashioned by God, in His image, and are all precious.
So my dear friends and family, as many of you already know, even if your faith, worldview, sexual orientation, politics or whatever is different than mine, that doesn't change the fact I love you and value you. My faith doesn't diminish you in my eyes, it enhances you.
May you be blessed, my friends, and may you be a blessing unto someone else,
Beth Butler
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