Hold These Truths

I can’t fully express how genuinely sad I am that Amendment One passed. I knew it would; it wasn’t a surprise and yet my heart aches and I can’t stop thinking about it.  I love Jesus. I don’t think that is a surprise to anyone who reads this. I love Jesus passionately and I like to believe this love translates over all the areas of my life, whether it is immediately evident or not (I’m looking at you, cursing problem). My relationship with Jesus is the most important personal relationship I have. 

And so it is physically painful to see the God I know to be unceasing in love and grace and mercy affixed to a battering ram of hate and judgment and condemnation. The truth gets high jacked and comes back a funhouse mirror version of itself. I think of all those who are turned away from the love that I so personally need and I want to weep. I wouldn’t want to know a God who acts like that. 

And so I speak these truths, to anyone who is listening:

•  You are so dearly loved, exactly where you are.
• You are beautifully and wonderfully made.  You were knit together in love and you matter.
• Mercy casts out judgment.
• Nothing can separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus. Not the past or the present, not the right or the left, not your orientation or your family, not your highest highs or your lowest lows, not popularity contests, not shame, not Facebook statuses, not Christians, not your best day or your worst night, not your secrets, not addictions, not failure; not fear. Nothing can separate you from the love of God.

Love.
Joy.
Peace.
Patience.
Kindness.
Goodness.
Gentleness.
 Faithfulness.
Self-control.

The writer of Galatians calls these the fruits of the Spirit. These are the traits of someone with in whom God resides, because they are the traits of God. Hold fast to this truth. Please.

I've written about this before here and here and probably elsewhere I just don't have time to look it up.