who do you say He is?

In the beginning, there was the Word. The Word was with God and was God. John 1:1

Although people had many gods they worshipped, there was one true God, yet for those people, He seemed so far away.

So God sent His Son to show them who he was, the Great I AM.

Thanks to the preaching of the disciples, later apostles and early Christians, the message of God was spread far and wide.

At first, the message was simple. Over time, it became more complicated. The Church now had a leader called Pope. Rules and regulations were drawn up. Some of these "rules" were not agreed on and so, a group of people came into being, "Protestants." It wasn't enough that we had Protestants, now we had break off groups of those believers, each one taking away something, adding something else, until the Word of God was smothered by even more rules and regulations. On and on it went, each new "church" telling its followers that THIS was the true church of Christ, the rest were all false.

And on it goes. Many churches today are all "do as I say, not as I do" while others look mainly towards how much money is collected in the offerings, all the while the pastor/leader is wearing diamonds and driving fancy cars, while the main theme of the church, the original church, is lost amidst those who live in their Ivory Towers, looking down at the sinners within their midst.

The whole reason Jesus came to us was to teach us what is expected of us. He took the Ten Commandments and broke it down even more simply: 'love God, love your neighbor." When you think about it, it is hard to say you love God if you slander your neighbor. Wars are started in the "name of God." The simple and original ministry of Jesus is all but lost.

The sad fact is that today, we have people who isolate themselves behind their techie toys, making comments on social media that are hurtful, all the while feeling superior for doing so. That whole "do unto others as you'd have them do unto you" now comes with a price tag. Crime, greed and more seem to have taken over. Addictions have increased as people search for answers in a pill, a drug, a bottle. Families are being destroyed. 

Where is God in all of this?

Right where He always has been.

It is we who have strayed.

How do we get back to God? By putting Him first in our lives. Surrendering ourselves to Him comes at a cost: eternal life. You either want it or you don't. It isn't enough to say, "I know God." You have to WANT to offer yourself as a living sacrifice. Each day, take up that cross and follow him. Give up all you have and follow him. Give up greed, lust, give up selfishness. Give OF yourself to others who really need that right now.

 I joined an online al-anon group due to my husband being an alcoholic. The hatred, the vitriol that is posted by other members there just floors me. The main theme they seem to espouse is that the alcoholic is to be hated. Not tolerated, hated. I can see why there are issues in relationships where alcoholism plays a huge role. It is all about attitudes and if hatred is one of them, no wonder there is so much sorrow. We are called to love the sinner, but hate the sin. Jesus taught us this time and again in His dealings with people. Often times I asked myself, if Jesus met my husband, what would have been His reaction? Seeing as how He turned water into wine makes me think that He would have had compassion, not judgmental hatred.

I have been to enough churches in which the message was, "if you don't follow the rules to the letter, you are not worthy of heaven!" But I think of the thief on the cross next to Jesus, whose last words were of pleading to be remembered when Jesus went to heaven. He probably never attended worship services, never had the sacraments, never went to Confession, his only confession being, "Remember me when you come into your kingdom!"

And Jesus answered, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise!"

That is IT! Simple! Profound! Honest! Jesus did not display this man's sins for all to see and gloat over, we don't even know WHY he was up there, (tradition calls him "the good thief,") Jesus did not say, "you know, I need to think on this, did you remember to recite your prayers before bed? Did you keep holy the Sabbath?" All things mentioned in the commandments probably had been broken by this person, yet in His compassion, Jesus comforted him, even during His own indescribable pain, Jesus comforted another, while lots were being cast for his simple cloak below His feet.

This should be what we remember...even while evil and misery happens to us, and it always will find us, no doubt about that, it is how we react to that, using it for good, that matters. That is our surrender. I know people who can recite Scripture perfectly, but who turn a deaf ear to pain. I know others who may confuse chapter and verse, but live for doing good to others.

Which one are you?

 It doesn't matter what denomination you claim as yours, we are all God's children...it is how you live out your faith that counts.