love each other

This is the message that you heard from the beginning: love each other. Don’t behave like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he kill him? He killed him because his own works were evil, but the works of his brother were righteous. Don’t be surprised, brothers and sisters, if the world hates you. We know that we have transferred from death to life, because we love the brothers and sisters. The person who does not love remains in death. Everyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that murderers don’t have eternal life residing in them. This is how we know love: Jesus laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. (1 John 3:11-16, CEB)

Love each other. Simple, right?

I love the conversation around these verses when people will say that the author here was saying this about the community of believers. Like there really wouldn’t be disagreement amongst believers. But that also says that there really are people that God doesn’t love and those are the people who do not belong to our inner circle. By saying, love each other, only means those in our group mean that we are God. Or at the very least we are creating God in our image and saying that God only loves who we love.

If you hate anyone you are killing them. And if you kill anyone you have no place with God.

So it’s easy. Love everyone. Period.

Love each other.

Loving People. Loving God.

enough…

Early in the morning as Jesus was returning to the city, he was hungry. He saw a fig tree along the road, but when he came to it, he found nothing except leaves. Then he said to it, “You’ll never again bear fruit!” The fig tree dried up at once. When the disciples saw it, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree dry up so fast?” they asked. Jesus responded, “I assure you that if you have faith and don’t doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree. You will even say to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the lake.’ And it will happen. If you have faith, you will receive whatever you pray for.” (Matthew 21:18-22, CEB)

I always get caught up on these passages. If you have faith and don’t doubt you will make the fig tree wither and the mountain move.

Well, I assure you I can do neither of these. Although I might kill a plant or two or ten with a black thumb. I am no gardener. But I have never looked at a fig tree and told it to wither and it withered, or told a mountain to move and it moved. Does that mean I am lacking in faith or full of doubt?

I will say there are times in my life when I know I lack faith. And there are times in my life when I am full of doubt. However, I do not believe either of these are factors in whether or not God is with me. God is big enough to walk with me in my lack of faith and through all the doubt I have.

So never see these if you have faith passages as saying your life is not enough. You are enough. Just as God made you. In your lack of faith and over achieving doubt. You are enough.

Loving People. Loving God.

Authority

Every person should place themselves under the authority of the government. There isn’t any authority unless it comes from God, and the authorities that are there have been put in place by God. So anyone who opposes the authority is standing against what God has established. People who take this kind of stand will get punished. The authorities don’t frighten people who are doing the right thing. Rather, they frighten people who are doing wrong. Would you rather not be afraid of authority? Do what’s right, and you will receive its approval. It is God’s servant given for your benefit. But if you do what’s wrong, be afraid because it doesn’t have weapons to enforce the law for nothing. It is God’s servant put in place to carry out his punishment on those who do what is wrong. That is why it is necessary to place yourself under the government’s authority, not only to avoid God’s punishment but also for the sake of your conscience. You should also pay taxes for the same reason, because the authorities are God’s assistants, concerned with this very thing. So pay everyone what you owe them. Pay the taxes you owe, pay the duties you are charged, give respect to those you should respect, and honor those you should honor. (Romans 13:1-7, CEB)

Everyone should place themselves under the authority of the government. Rulers only have authority because God gave it to them.

Given the current laws in the United States aimed at eradicating anyone who does not fit a gender binary, I have a hard time with this reading, knowing that God is a God of love.

I mean we need to follow the rules set by the government and be dutiful citizens for the good of all people. But when rulers are set on evil, how are we supposed to honor them by blindly allowing them to take away the rights of humans and not say something in return?

Love is the guiding factor in all things. Do the rulers and governments uphold humanity and love for all people, if not, it is not God ordained and is evil.

Love needs to be the focus and aim for all.

Loving People. Loving God.

live honorably

Dear friends, since you are immigrants and strangers in the world, I urge that you avoid worldly desires that wage war against your lives. Live honorably among the unbelievers. Today, they defame you, as if you were doing evil. But in the day when God visits to judge they will glorify him, because they have observed your honorable deeds. For the sake of the Lord submit to every human institution. Do this whether it means submitting to the emperor as supreme ruler, or to governors as those sent by the emperor. They are sent to punish those doing evil and to praise those doing good. Submit to them because it’s God’s will that by doing good you will silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. Do this as God’s slaves, and yet also as free people, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil. Honor everyone. Love the family of believers. Have respectful fear of God. Honor the emperor. (1 Peter 2:11-17, CEB)

This is an interesting reading.

For the sake of the Lord submit to every human institution. They are sent to punish evil and praise those doing good. But what if they are not praising good and are upholding evil? Slavery on the North American Continent in the late 1800s and moving forward was a human institution that was pure evil. Are we to submit to that? And the genocide of the Native Peoples of the same continent by those who would say they discovered a new world was again pure evil that was a human institution. So by submitting to pure evil we will silence the ignorant talk of foolish people? It seems like the author of 1 Peter wants to keep the status quo and not rock the boat for justice. Because submitting to evil perpetuates evil.

We need to seek justice and fight against evil in every form. That is honoring God and loving God’s creation.

Loving People. Loving God.

love

Don’t be in debt to anyone, except for the obligation to love each other. Whoever loves another person has fulfilled the Law. The commandments, Don’t commit adultery, don’t murder, don’t steal, don’t desire what others have, and any other commandments, are all summed up in one word: You must love your neighbor as yourself. Love doesn’t do anything wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is what fulfills the Law. As you do all this, you know what time it is. The hour has already come for you to wake up from your sleep. Now our salvation is nearer than when we first had faith. The night is almost over, and the day is near. So let’s get rid of the actions that belong to the darkness and put on the weapons of light. Let’s behave appropriately as people who live in the day, not in partying and getting drunk, not in sleeping around and obscene behavior, not in fighting and obsession. Instead, dress yourself with the Lord Jesus Christ, and don’t plan to indulge your selfish desires. (Romans 13:8-14, CEB)

There are 10 commandments and they are split into 2 groups. The first is about God and our relationship to God. The second group is about everyone else and our relationship with them.

So we are given commandments to help us love God and commandments to love everyone else. And Isn’t that what Jesus said the commandments were, love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, and soul and love your neighbor as yourself.

The only thing we owe anyone is love. Not because they earned it, like us with God, but because God loves us and so we love everyone.

Love out Loud.

Loving People. Loving God.

Snakes…

“How terrible it will be for you legal experts and Pharisees! Hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. You say, ‘If we had lived in our ancestors’ days, we wouldn’t have joined them in killing the prophets.’ You testify against yourselves that you are children of those who murdered the prophets. Go ahead, complete what your ancestors did. You snakes! You children of snakes! How will you be able to escape the judgment of hell? Therefore, look, I’m sending you prophets, wise people, and legal experts. Some of them you will kill and crucify. And some you will beat in your synagogues and chase from city to city. Therefore, upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been poured out on the earth, from the blood of that righteous man Abel to the blood of Zechariah the son of Barachiah, whom you killed between the temple and the altar. I assure you that all these things will come upon this generation. (Matthew 23:29-36, CEB)

If anything in all of the scriptures points to Jesus’ humanity, I would say this should be towards the top of the list. Here Jesus is calling legal experts and Pharisees, hypocrites and snakes. This is when we get into that fit of rage and go off on someone. We call them names and point fingers. This is not the speaking of a loving God or an advocate but someone who is fed up. To me, it shows we all have the ability to do what God calls us to do and love. Jesus in other parts of the scriptures forgives and heals and loves openly and accepts people where they are. So if Jesus can lose it here and still be loving, maybe all of us can still be loving even if we lose it every now and then.

So know there is always hope. And try not to call people snakes, but know if you do, you are in good company.

Loving People. Loving God.

good news

As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of those who announce the good news. But everyone hasn’t obeyed the good news. As Isaiah says, Lord, who has had faith in our message? So, faith comes from listening, but it’s listening by means of Christ’s message. But I ask you, didn’t they hear it? Definitely! Their voice has gone out into the entire earth, and their message has gone out to the corners of the inhabited world. But I ask you again, didn’t Israel understand? First, Moses says, I will make you jealous of those who aren’t a people, of a people without understanding. And Isaiah even dares to say, I was found by those who didn’t look for me; I revealed myself to those who didn’t ask for me. But he says about Israel, All day long I stretched out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people. (Romans 10:15b-21, CEB)

Have you ever known something so great you wanted to share it with everyone? And you are so excited to share it, but when you share it people react like it isn’t anything big at all. People you thought would be so elated are shrugging their shoulders and just walking away like you didn’t say anything.

And yet others you thought wouldn’t react are trying to hear more…

This is what it is like to share God’s love with the world. Sometimes people won’t want it or to hear about and others will be so moved they need to hear more.

Our job is to share love with everyone. If they accept it great, and great even if they don’t. We don’t get to choose how people receive it or ask for it. Our job is to have beautiful feet and share the love God has given us.

So share love generously and do it all the time and know that God works in and through that.

Loving People. Loving God.

Build you up…

I’ve become a fool! You made me do it. Actually, I should have been commended by you. I’m not inferior to the super-apostles in any way, even though I’m a nonentity. The signs of an apostle were performed among you with continuous endurance through signs, wonders, and miracles. How were you treated worse than the other churches, except that I myself wasn’t a financial burden on you? Forgive me for this wrong! Look, I’m ready to visit you a third time, and I won’t be a burden on you. I don’t want your things; I want you. It isn’t the children’s responsibility to save up for their parents but parents for children. I will very gladly spend and be spent for your sake. If I love you more, will you love me less? We all know that I didn’t place a burden on you, but in spite of that you think I’m a con artist who fooled you with a trick. I haven’t taken advantage of you through any of the people I sent to you, have I? I strongly encouraged Titus to go to you and sent the brother with him. Titus didn’t take advantage of you, did he? Didn’t we live by the same Spirit? Didn’t we walk in the same footsteps? Have you been thinking up to now that we are defending ourselves to you? Actually, we are speaking in the sight of God and in Christ. Dear friends, everything is meant to build you up. I’m afraid that maybe when I come you will be different from the way I want you to be, and that I’ll be different from the way you want me to be. I’m afraid that there might be fighting, obsession, losing your temper, competitive opposition, backstabbing, gossip, conceit, and disorderly conduct. I’m afraid that when I come again, my God may embarrass me in front of you. I might have to go into mourning over all the people who have sinned before and haven’t changed their hearts and lives from what they used to practice: moral corruption, sexual immorality, and doing whatever feels good. (2 Corinthians 12:11-21, CEB)

Paul is telling the Corinthians that he is a fool for them. Because the things he is doing are meant to build up their faith.

Leaders in the church do things they would never do to help those in their care deepen their faith. This is evident in youth workers who act way younger than their physical age to help the youth of congregations hear, see, and live the word of God. And the end is meant to deepen faith and help people grow.

Paul is one who spent time talking about being all things for all people and sometimes we try to do things so others will see God’s love. Deepening faith is something leaders in the church want for all people.

Help others see God’s love and if it means you need to stretch a bit and do something you wouldn’t do, then maybe give it a shot and let others see God’s love.

Loving People. Loving God.

The unforgivable sin…

They brought to Jesus a demon-possessed man who was blind and unable to speak. Jesus healed him so that he could both speak and see. All the crowds were amazed and said, “This man couldn’t be the Son of David, could he?” When the Pharisees heard, they said, “This man throws out demons only by the authority of Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons.” Because Jesus knew what they were thinking, he replied, “Every kingdom involved in civil war becomes a wasteland. Every city or house torn apart by divisions will collapse. If Satan throws out Satan, he is at war with himself. How then can his kingdom endure? And if I throw out demons by the authority of Beelzebul, then by whose authority do your followers throw them out? Therefore, they will be your judges. But if I throw out demons by the power of God’s Spirit, then God’s kingdom has already overtaken you. Can people go into a house that belongs to a strong man and steal his possessions, unless they first tie up the strong man? Then they can rob his house. Whoever isn’t with me is against me, and whoever doesn’t gather with me scatters. “Therefore, I tell you that people will be forgiven for every sin and insult to God. But insulting the Holy Spirit won’t be forgiven. And whoever speaks a word against the Human One will be forgiven. But whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit won’t be forgiven, not in this age or in the age that is coming. (Matthew 12:22-32, CEB)

Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is how I remember this, but here in the CEB it is “But insulting the Holy Spirit won’t be forgiven.” And to me, that doesn’t really make it any clearer. Jesus continued above, “And whoever speaks a word against the Human One will be forgiven. But whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit won’t be forgiven, not in this age or in the age that is coming.” Which I take to me, say what you want about me, because it will all be forgiven, but if you say they spirit can’t do what the spirit is doing then you will never be forgiven. But what is speaking against the Spirit?

The thing that constantly comes to my mind when this verse comes up is saying that God/the Spirit can’t do something. God is all-powerful and the creator of all, so God can do whatever God wants to. Even if we think it impossible, even if we do not want it to happen. God can and will do whatever God wants and for us to say it can’t happen is speaking against the Spirit.

We do not have to understand, nor do we always get to understand. That is why it is called faith.

Just love and let God do what God will and enjoy the ride.

Loving People. Loving God.

Hold fast

“Write this to the angel of the church in Philadelphia: These are the words of the one who is holy and true, who has the key of David. Whatever he opens, no one will shut; and whatever he shuts, no one opens. I know your works. Look! I have set in front of you an open door that no one can shut. You have so little power, and yet you have kept my word and haven’t denied my name. Because of this I will make the people from Satan’s synagogue (who say they are Jews and really aren’t, but are lying)—I will make them come and bow down at your feet and realize that I have loved you. Because you kept my command to endure, I will keep you safe through the time of testing that is about to come over the whole world, to test those who live on earth. I’m coming soon. Hold on to what you have so that no one takes your crown. As for those who emerge victorious, I will make them pillars in the temple of my God, and they will never leave it. I will write on them the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the New Jerusalem that comes down out of heaven from my God. I will also write on them my own new name. If you can hear, listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. (Revelation 3:7-13, CEB)

You have little power but have stayed the course and held to following where I have led you.

When we go with the world we stray from God and we do not share love. We look out for our own needs and desires and we hurt others in the process. God is calling us to love and to hold to loving all. That is how we show the world God exists. Not by pointing out others’ flaws or sins or by telling people they are going to hell for how they live. Jesus asked where accusers were and then said he also didn’t accuse. We are called to love.

Loving People. Loving God.