On the Road

Well, after a day in Arkansas, we've finally got our full load and we're rolling down I-24, headed to Amberland! God has been protecting us from a lot of trouble and stupidity so far - others' as well as our own, I must admit.

Last year, I had six other guys with me. This year, there are 16 of us! There are several degrees of separation between all of our belief systems, but everybody definitely agrees on at least one thing, and that's this: maybe we should just all be nice to other people.

I wonder sometimes if that's enough.

I fully believe that Jesus is the Son of God. I fully believe that there are eternal consequences for the choices we make in life. I fully believe that Christ offers those who follow after Him a unique look into the Life that we were created for.

But I also believe that God wants as many people to experience His fullness as possible. James 1:27 says "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and keep oneself from being polluted by the world." Just a few verses later, 2:8 says "If you really keep the royal law found in scripture, ' Love your neighbor as yourself,' you are doing right."

So is God necessarily a part of either of those? Can you love others as yourself without loving God?

What about I John 4:7, which says that "...everyone who loves is born of God and knows God"?

Is loving others enough?

Now, don't worry, I haven't forgotten the words of Christ in Matthew 22. I still firmly believe that our first responsiblity is to Love God. We all know we're not perfect at it, but we do know that He forgives us, right?

So what if God's grace is so big that He's willing to forgive people who deny His very existence, so long as they Love Others?

What if His grace is so big that He's willing to forgive people who call Him by a different name?

Jesus asked that the Father forgive those who crucified Him, saying that they did not know what they were doing. What if that's how it's supposed to be forever?

I still believe - completely - in the exclusive Way, Truth and Life revealed in Jesus Christ. I also believe that He has asked me to tell others about Him.

But what if that whole loving others thing really is the whole point?

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