As some of you know, two or three mornings each week I try to write a daily devotional for the college students here at the school I teach at as well as for various friends, former students and relatives that have asked to be added to our mailing list (if you're interested in being added just send me a comment with your email or you can click on the Gordon Christian Fellowship link on the left). With a colleague who is a truly gifted writer, we try to send something out every weekday that will help our students focus on their relationship with God during a quiet time they may set aside.
This week we've been writing about mercy as part of a semester long series on the topics of things like discernment, grace and forgiveness. Several weeks ago as I flew back from my Grandfather's memorial service I was reading the book, "No Perfect People Allowed," by John Burke. While reading God laid something on my heart. I had the realization that as much as God may hate our sin (and the Bible is pretty clear about how He feels about that), He loves us even more (the Bible's even clearer about that). Over the course of the last several weeks, this idea has been settling itself further and further down into my psyche. As I've continued to really examine my way of thinking and my mindset, this idea keeps coming back up. As much as God might hate our sin, He loves us even more. As I've been writing these devotionals this thought stays near the front of my mind. This morning though was extraordinary.
Over the last few months I've had this sort of project. I've been going out to various online communities to get a better understanding of why they are becoming so popular. Whether is be MySpace or Facebook or OKCupid there is no denying that more and more members of the postmodern generations are turning to these places to find community instead of the traditional venues such as churches, civic organizations, sporting leagues and neighborhood associations. To be honest, I like taking some of the online "quizzes" too. As I was poking aorund over breakfast this morning I came across a quiz titled something like, "Are you too Christian to date me..." As a Christian I was interested and curious as to what this would be about so I went out to take it. In the introductory comments, the quiz' author railed about the response he had been getting to the quiz, especially from Christians.
In taking the quiz I soon understood why he was getting the response. The quiz was pretty offensive in how it phrased the questions and the black and white nature of the answers. In this guy's mind there was no grey or nuance in the positions one could take. Once I got over the sort of annoyance I felt by the guy trying to force me into his peception of Christianity I began to really think about things from his point of view. Most of his questions were of the, "Do you think that ____ is wrong?" variety. There were no, "Do you believe that Christ called His followers to a life of radical and sacraficial love?" types of questions. For this guy, Christianity and its God were about judgment and condemnation. When reading his profile, I found the same sentiments echoed strongly there. As I thought abobut the quiz and the profile I was deeply moved to include what I had learned in my morning devotional.
You see, I was writing about mercy. If God really does love us more than He hates our sin, then I think He has to be much more a God of mercy than a God of judgment. I think that justice for God has to be about bring His creations closer to Him rather than finding a reason to punish them. Hosea writes, "For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgement of God rather than burnt offerings." (Hosea 6:6) Micah writes, "And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." (Micah 6:8)
Now I don't know why the man in the profile I read this morning looks at God the way he does exactly. I don't know if a Christian friend told him he was going to hell or that God didn't love him for something that he did. I don't know if he listened to too many fundamentalist preachers and their "turn or burn" sermons and found a heaviness settling into his soul. I don't know if the Adversary stood next to him whispering lies about the God who loves him in all circumstances. What I do know is that he doesn't see God's mercy and so he has become lost somewhere along the way. When I read his profile you could sense a real unhappiness in the life he has but he'd rather have that that to look to a faith that he sees as being full of judgment.
Of course, I don't think that God's to blame here; we Christians are. More personally, I am. How often have I been judgmental and condemnatory? (See yesterday's post) How often have people seen God through me and my actions and found no mercy? For those of you who might find your way these words, I ask forgiveness. I ask that you pray for me that I might show God's true nature more accurately and clearly in my life.
Lord have mercy.
Thanks for reading.
