The Really Hard Section
I really regret the fact that I didn’t get to go to Q this year when I see pictures like the one here. It was a cost issue. But now I know I really wanted to be there. I would have also like to see The Fray, but I digress.
The picture above is the full story of the Gospel. It’s the one that has gotten lost over the years. And what caught my attention is the last part. Restoration.
This part is not possible over an extended period of time without love. The middle two, which the church has been focusing on for ages, requires a grasp of theology and can be reduced to a prayer (so they think). But the last part simply cannot be done without love. It’s impossible. Because restoration requires getting through the $*it. It requires forgiveness. It requires the willingness to stand with someone who just refuses to let go of their stuff. And that my friends is the messy stuff.
Addendum: After I wrote this I realized that if God knows what is going on, being outside of time, the first section is also not possible without love. Creation. If God knows humanity will fall, then creation requires love and the willingness to step through each section to see it through. Creation was an act of love that revealed God willingness to step through each stage with us.
And please don’t assume I’m saying that redemption doesn’t require love. It does.
If you enjoyed this post, please consider to leave a comment or subscribe to the feed and get future articles delivered to your feed reader.
-
Tracy Simmons
-
jonathanbrink
