God is love
I had a conversation with someone last night about faith. This person questioned my faith and my relationship with God because my beliefs were different than their beliefs, which is something I try not to do. I am not able to judge someone else’s relationship with God. I leave that to God. I personally believe God can not be folded and put neatly into the small box that is comfortable to most of us. During the conversation I was questioned about my “absolutes”. I have several but this one keeps coming to my heart so I’m choosing to share.
My friend, Beth, said it best on her facebook status a few weeks back. God loves everyone, no exceptions! God loves thieves, honest persons, hard workers, bums, whores, nuns, terrorists, noble peace prize winners, abusers, social workers, televangelists, nurses, abortion doctors, pediatricians, cheaters, preachers, liars, teachers, heterosexuals, homosexuals, republicans, democrats, independents, Protestants, Catholics, Muslims, Buddhists, and Atheists. This is not of course an exclusive list, but you get the point. God loves everyone on this earth. He loves all of his precious creation, without exception. That truth I am as sure of as I am that the sun will rise each morning. For all of human kind has fallen short of the glory of God. God loves us because God created us and God loves us in spite of us! And, God calls us to love everyone, especially those who we find “hard” to love. We are to love those people whose values do not line up with our own and those who question our values. We are to love them and treat them with respect even when it’s hard to do. We are to do so because God first loves us.