Today's Scripture Reading (October 1, 2025): Psalm 66 & 67
One of the problems with all
religions is that there are groups that seem to believe in the same things that
others do, and yet they take the faith in a radically different direction. The
existence of Islamic radicals who want to act with violence does not mean that
every Mosque, Shaykh (authenticated teacher of the Quran), or Marabout
(spiritual leader) is teaching the same things. And some Islamic leaders argue
that the violence that sometimes seems so familiar actually isn't a fundamental
mark of Islamic belief.
Christianity suffers in the
same way. Some Christians seem to believe in violence against those they would label
the infidels, while others are tied up in the idea of being righteous or even
perfect. Some would even argue that I am perverting Christianity through my
teaching of love. My problem is that I see love all the way through the Bible.
Jesus argued that all of the Law and prophets hang on the dual concepts of loving
God with all of our being and loving our neighbor as we love ourselves (Matthew
22:40). As a Christian, I am commanded to want the best for you, just as I want
the best for me. If you can fulfill these commands, then you will keep all of
the demands of the Law and the instructions of the Prophets. Live a life
dominated by love, and you won't have to worry about the requirements of
righteousness because love will have already taken you past that hurdle.
For me, that is the central
tenet of Christianity. Love. I have mentioned to those around me that our priority
has to be love. If we can perfect love, then we can turn to all of the other
demands of the Law and the prophets and see what we can do, but first, we have
to learn to love. However, I also suspect that once we learn to love, the rest
of the demands of the Law and the Prophets won't be as important to us as they
might seem to be now.
If that is attractive to you,
then all I can say is find a church that believes in love and come and see. It
might take some research, but it will be worth it. We are out there, and all we
want to do is love you with the love that Christ has given to us.
"Come and see" is
also a concept that is central to our faith. The Psalmist uses those words
here. As I read the Psalmist, my imagination turns to a conversation between
Philip and Nathaniel in John 1. Philip had seen Jesus and was convinced that he
was the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and the one that the Prophets said
was yet to come. And Philip says that this man's name was Jesus of Nazareth,
the Son of Joseph.
Nathaniel's reply is quick.
Nazareth! Can anything good come out of Nazareth? I have heard the stories of
this Nazareth, and nothing good ever comes from there. To this assertion, Philip
simply replies, "Come and see." (Paraphrased from John 1:43-46.)
You can sit in front of your
computer and complain about what the Christian Church does or doesn't do, or
you can come and see. It is up to you. And I get it, not all churches are the
same; there are some churches that I can't identify with because they refuse to
love. But churches that believe in love exist. So the invitation of the Psalmist
remains. I invite you to "Come and see."
Tomorrow's Scripture Reading:
Psalm 71
