An article by Simon Swift how about his approach that because we are in the image of God we have the birthright ‘to love and to be loved’.
The best description of love I have ever heard was ‘Making room in my life for someone else to be themselves.’ Sounds simple, yet we struggle to do it. It’s easier to be judgemental and expect others to fit into our sense of what is right and wrong, and what is expected behaviour. Sometimes we judge ourselves, not allowing our own self to simply be, perhaps we fear the judgement of others, even God. As Christians we are not just called to profess a love of God, but to embody that love in our daily lives. That means loving ourselves, our neighbours and even our enemies. It is the way of the disciple: To learn how to love; giving and receiving.
I think some of us have to learn to receive love. We can have a tendency to let false humbleness to get in the way. We need to be able to receive love in whatever form that may take. It may be a gift, a recognition of success, a hug, or just a simple compliment. We should accept and receive these things as a blessing, being thankful for them while not letting our ego feed on it. We must nurture compassion for ourselves as well as each other. It is a two way connection, through love, with God, family, friends, neighbours, and even the rest of creation. It is a place of vulnerability and it is a risk.
Humanities identity is wrapped up in the idea of carrying God’s image and reflecting it into the world. It is our birthright: to love and be loved. Yes, it is something we are entitled to. Not in a selfish ‘me’ way, the kind of negative meaning that is often implied with the word ‘entitled’. No, it is the realisation of our purpose and so as a disciple of ‘The Way’ we must not be trapped by the ‘I’m not worthy’ thinking. That does not belong in the mind of the disciple. At the core of this purpose, and our relationship with God is grace.
Grace is not about getting something you don’t deserve, of escaping some sort of judgement like going to Hell and enduring eternal damnation. Grace is God taking the initiative in liberating us. He was even willing to send his son, who was also passionate enough to die for us. That initiative took place despite humanity being more than happy to forget about divine purpose and play at being our own gods. We do as a species tend to be all ‘me, me, me.’ God on the other hand chose not punishment, instead, he chose to set us free before we even made any commitment to changing our ways. That’s grace: It isn’t a ‘get you off the hook’ free pass, no, it is an action with a purpose and it comes with an invitation.
That invitation is into a love empowered life. As humans we have the right to be loved and an obligation to love. Needles to say we have to sort out our own ego: not demanding our rights but accepting them with grateful thanks. When we learn to love ourselves and others we begin to enter into eternal life and perhaps we even add to it, expanding it into Creation. This is the anvil of our discipleship. When we step into the Kingdom of Heaven I don’t think God wants us to start blubbering about how unworthy we are. No, He wants us to accept his love, to drink it in, to be transformed by it. Yes, to be grateful, but not to have the ‘I’m a terrible person who doesn’t deserve this’ mentality. From this point on you can say to the Accuser, ‘Go, do not darken my door again. I have found my salvation and it is through the grace of God. You can not accuse me anymore.’
Now we are disciples there is the hard work of repentance. Our world view changes, we have different priorities, and a new way of being. A new life to live which throws off the chains of sin that we have wrapped round ourselves. We are now able to take the risk and vulnerability that comes with loving. Paul, in one of his letters, gives good practical advise on love. On how to live the life of love and what that means in our daily lives. As disciples we begin to practice that love.
This is what the emphasis of church life should be: The discipleship of it’s members, learning to live a life empowered by love. Not how to put a good show on Sunday mornings. No judging others who don’t fit in or who’s life falls short of their God given purpose. Instead we are called to invite everyone into a kingdom based on love and discover the grace of God, becoming transformed by it.
Lets us be done with the religion of fear and trying to get God on our side, lets leave that with the pagan gods. Instead accept the grace given to each of us and walk the way of love. As for Satan, you can tell him exactly where he can stick his accusing finger.
