The Love of God

This discussion about "The Love of God" was in response to an editorial by Matthew Penny on United-Online.
 

Posted by Peter VanderKam on November 26, 1997 at 16:45:51:

The love of God:

A response to the editorial by Matthew Penny: (United Online-Nov25/97)

I don’t often watch Oprah, but this p.m. I did. The guests were Stephen
Spielberg and three of the cast of his movie "Amistad". It depicts in
graphic detail the horrors human beings can inflict on fellow human beings
and justify it by saying that it doesn’t matter as they are #1 black and #2
heathen. Anybody who wishes to see degradation in the raw, ought to go and
see this. Awesome!

The most (for me) moving part of the show was the moment when the male lead
(black) read a letter of thanks to Stephen Spielberg for the manner in
which he had brought this shameful period in our history back to life. Talk
about human dignity. This actor had it in spades. Needless to say, his
gratitude moved Stephen to tears.

What has this got to do with the letter of Matthew Penny? Lots. Matthew
poses the rhetorical question: "Why in God’s name did he say what he said"?
(Para phrase mine), and in doing so exposes his own spiritual paucity.

What is the "Good News" all about? What is the overriding theme of the OT
and NT? Is it not about the Love of God for its creation? Yes, it is! Given
that fact what is the "Good News" all about but the story of utter Freedom?
Freedom of oppression, freedom of being enslaved, in short, freedom from
bondage.

"Why in God’s name did he say them?" The simple answer is: to give the
oppressed freedom! To enable the "slave" to stretch her/his wings and to
soar into freedom.

Do you know what it means to bite your nails to the quick?
Do you know what it is to smoke and not be able to stop?
Do you know what it is to feel the self loathing when you try to break the
habit and you keep falling
back into it?
Do you know what is to be fat and to have to put up with the snide remarks
from the non-fat?
Do you know what it is to like to be a social misfit?
Do you know what it is to be friendless?
Do you know what it is to long for the oblivion that death brings?
Do you know what it means to "know" something and to be ignored because of
it?
Do you know.....?
Do you know.....?
Do you know.....?

I have a tape made by Bishop John Spong on the occasion of his visit to
Manitoba conference.
He painted the :"Good News" in these terms:

Imagine Jesus hanging on the cross and saying:
Come ye who are tired and heavy laden, and I shall give you peace and rest
except you, you dirty nail biter...
except you, you filthy smoker...
except you, you worthless peace of humanity ...
except you, you fat boy (girl) ...
except you, you social misfit ...
except you, you friendless so & so ...
except you, you suicidal ingrate ...
except you, you self proclaimed "visionary" ...

except you ...
except you ...
and except you,...

Really, that is the "Good News"? And is that the message that Jesus
demonstrated? No way. In the meantime, it is us who put up picket fences
all over the place, and who erect barriers and formulate rules and
regulations aplenty. And it is us "sinners" who are so sure of ourselves
and are so quick to deny others the entrance to the "shalom life" with our
rules and demands.

Why did Bill Phipps say what he did? For a certainty, he is no saint, but I
suspect that it was the activist Bill Phipps (so many of his colleagues and
parishioners have come to know, love and admire) who showed his leadership.

Tolerate him for the next three years, and use the interim time to prepare
yourself for his successor? I say, bless this man and sign him up now for
an additional three years. And while you are at it, bless this church that
produces such leaders!

Was all of the above rhetorical? Only some of it! What is fact is that it
is because of him that I feel vindicated and empowered! Thanks Bill!

Shalom.

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Posted by Siobhan Sexton on November 27, 1997 at 05:48:17:

In Reply to: The love of God! posted by Peter VanderKam on November 26,
1997 at 16:45:51:

Dear Friend in Christ:

Thank you for speaking your heart on that one. I am with you completely!

I, too am concerned about the history of harm that has been done in the
name of Jesus, and the terrible way we humans often seek divine
rationalizations for our savagely 'human' deeds.

When you think of South Africa, and how the Apartheid Regime was
rationalized by Christians who were quoting the Bible in defense of
slavery, you realize that we humans are a fallable bunch, capable of
deluding ourselves in the name of "faith".

This is all the more reason to be committed to an humble path of dialogue,
of loving service and of continually searching for truth rather than merely
following uncritically the 'faith' of our forefathers. Because of the
dangers of self-delusion, we should never take our 'faith' for granted.
 

Siobhan
 

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Posted by Jim Love on November 27, 1997 at 01:46:18:

In Reply to: The love of God! posted by Peter VanderKam on November 26,
1997 at 16:45:51:

: Tolerate him for the next three years, and use the interim time to
prepare : yourself for his successor?
: I say, bless this man and sign him up now for an additional three years.
: And while you are at it, bless
: this church that produces such leaders!

I see a crisis of leadership in our church and can not see how Bill Phipps
has acted like a good leader. I hope his leadership improves ... for the
sake of our denomination. There seems something lacking in his discernment
and his sensitivity to others ... from my viewpoint I see a crisis of
vision in the UCC right now ... I think Phipp's comments are bringing this
to light. I am not sure at this point what to do about it other than to
pray. Because I think there is an a deeper issue here I doubt this is going
to go away.

- Jim Love
Ordinand
A&NW Conference
 

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Posted by Nenke Jongkind on November 26, 1997 at 21:46:39:

In Reply to: The love of God! posted by Peter VanderKam on November 26,
1997 at 16:45:51:

Thank you for writing what you did. Thank you for being so simply erudite
and full of faith. I heard Bill Phipps at Trinity St. Paul on November 16.
A standing ovation after a sermon is for me after a lifetime of weekly
worship a singular and rapt experience.