Outside looking in


No one is excluded from calling upon God, the gate of salvation is set open unto all people; neither is there any other thing which keepeth us back from entering in,
save only our own unbelief. –John Calvin


I was raised in the church. From the time I was very little, Sunday morning meant going to church. Sunday school meant reading Bible stories and taking home a paper filled with pictures of children in Jesus’ loving presence. The stories, the words all pointed to one thing: a loving God whose love has no boundaries. This was the message I grew up with.

But somewhere along the way, it seems, some church leaders started reading a different version of the Bible than the one I grew up on. Or maybe they felt they knew, better than anyone else, what Jesus really meant when he instructed us to love one another.

I don’t know about that. Somewhere in Scripture (Luke 2:49), it says the son knows the Father’s business better than anyone. For someone to suggest they know God’s heart better than—well, better than God—seems highly suspect.

Where do we get the idea that a person’s skin color is reason enough to deny them basic human rights? Scripture also reminds us that God has numbered every hair on our heads (Matthew 10:30) and calls us by name (Isaiah 43:1). We are all God’s beloved.

The least among us are first in the eyes of the Almighty.

Monday Is there someone you haven’t seen in church for a couple weeks (even though it’s been miserably cold)? Pray for them; then drop them a line or make a phone call. Ezekiel 34:11-16

Tuesday If your neighborhood is like mine, we often lose touch during the cold months. Reach out today to a neighbor whom you haven’t seen recently. Romans 13:9-10

Wednesday Today (or another day this week), if you stop for a coffee or a bite to eat, consider paying for the person behind you in line. Luke 6:37-38

Thursday Pray today for those who are hospitalized. Pray, as well, for those travelling to the Clinic for surgical care. 1 Peter 2:9-10

Friday Pray for folks who volunteer in our community. Consider volunteering your time or perhaps making a donation to a local organization. Ezekiel 36:26-27

Saturday Today as you pray for yourself, give thanks for the many opportunities you have to reach out to others. Pause and think for a few minutes: how is your life a living Gospel? 1 Corinthians 1:17

Sunday Pray for our local students of all ages, especially those who have come to study at our exceptional colleges and universities. Give thanks for their curious minds. Proverbs 1:20-21

Hell is nothing else but nature departed or excluded from the beam of Divine light. 
–William Law

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