Sunday, November 22, 2020
Given this Beauty,
To Make Our Own God Above All Others
OR
To Accept the Mystery of God’s Work In All People, In All Religions,
Including that People Worship Differently, Apparently Different Gods,
…
For which do you think God created the universe?
Isaiah 43:11
I, I am the Lord, and besides me there is no saviour.
Ephesians 4:5-6
There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.
Words of Grace For Today
Who are we, if we are true to the confession of our faith, to be the ones to denigrate God’s work in other people, even when that work shows itself as faith different from ours.
Who are we to determine who God is?
We are totally incapable of such a determination!
Wars based on differences of religion are foolish. In truth they are always about other things, using religion as a motivator to bring people to fight and justify their evil actions as right.
The same is true for countless conflicts between peoples, down to battles between spouses and between siblings.
God is God.
We hold that we are saved from our sins by Grace alone, clearly shown to us through the life, ministry, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus.
Our faith, faithfully lived, provides for a wonderful life, for us and for all who embrace this faith. Many who say they embrace this faith, actually misuse it, instead of living it faithfully. They misuse it for their own means to cruel ends. Such is the history of humans since they imagined that God existed.
Our faith provides that God also forgives those who misuse faith. Our faith provides us the courage to confess we all misuse faith. Such is the history of humans since we imagined that God existed.
Our Lord, One Lord, Three-In-One, provides for life abundant … not in material excesses, but in blessings in all circumstances. So we hold on faithfully to the gifts of the One Spirit, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and the one hope of our calling: one God, who is above all and through all and in all.
That makes for a marvellous life.
Our faith gives us the strength and resilience to face whatever evil comes our way, whatever challenges come our way, whatever abuse of faith is exercised around us or through us.
Covid 19 is only one of many challenges we face, always God walking with us.