Is it any wonder that Christians, who are taught to preach peace, have a hard time practicing it? We don’t know who are our God is. In our worship, God has a split personality.
We hear about the Jesus who is so tender hearted that he describes Himself as a mother hen who would gather her chicks. Then we sing about the cosmic General Patton who storms through the planet tossing bodies right and left.
He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored,
He has loosed the fateful lightening of His terrible swift sword.
Glory, Glory, Hallelujah!
Maybe it's that Hallelujah! part that really gets to me. With that kind of lip smacking, smug, satisfaction about them getting theirs, why are we surprised when people can't get along?
In the Bible, we can find support for any view of God - and God's view of humankind - that we wish. The Psalms are full of vengeful pleas for retribution and there are lines that I just will not read. There are also ones that I pray constantly:
You make wars to cease.
You break the bow,
splinter the spear
and burn the shields with fire.
For me, St. John seems to have the most en-light-end vision. His is the God who is Love itself. God’s mercy triumphs over justice.
No comments:
Post a Comment