 | Will the war of words ever stop? Criticisms abound in the rhetoric of politics, fights over building walls, spewing out words of discrimination against skin color and righteous indignation over who has the “right” interpretation of the Bible. Christians all over the world proclaim stories about God’s love and forgiveness and their personal relationship with God. Other stories infiltrate news and social media regarding the decline of church attendance because people are turned off by the divisive words and actions by people of faith. A familiar sight around ball games, stamped under player’s eyes and splashed on billboards around the country is a go-to the biblical verse of John 3:16. Are you familiar with the words, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” Like many children, who attended Sunday school, I had to memorize and recite these words throughout my childhood. This verse is so familiar to most of us that it might be easy to gloss over its radical meaning. It says “whoever” believes in Jesus, will be with God through eternity.” It does not say, whoever is from a certain denomination, religious affiliation, a certain color or creed, or with the correct interpretation of the Bible gets a free pass into the kingdom. It might come as a shock that with that one word, whoever, God is going to great lengths to spend forever with us. These familiar words are not about what we have to do to earn grace and mercy. It is God’s free gift to us! |
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