Rodent Regatta

For much of the afternoon I’ve wrestled with whether or not to chime in about an entry on Rachel Lucas’s weblog that has drawn over 100 comments so far. By now you know I’ve decided to say something.

Depending upon where you put the emphasis in Rachel’s entry (e.g. a political appointment, a back-pedal by the administration, AIDS, homophobia or what God thinks) you wind up with a little different comment. Here’s what struck me. God loves us all. His arms are open to us all. All of us are sinners in many areas of life. He still loves us. To the extent that any of the comments about Rachel’s entry in any way implied that God has turned His back on anyone, I’d like to refute that.

Either we have Good News to share or we don’t. Rather than take the position of so many Christians who believe they are here to point out right and wrong, I’d rather point to God’s love and suggest that this passage says all about what it takes to ”lose” God’s love:

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to {His} purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined {to become} conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God {is} for us, who {is} against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, ”FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED.” But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:28-39

I’m calling it quits for the evening. Good night!