"As You Judge......."

“There are as many sinners on our side as theirs” Martin Luther

I am troubled by Christians who seem to equate love of country with following Christ and I am equally concerned about followers of Jesus who seem to uncritically support President Trump’s constant flow of “anti-Christ” statements and his ever-shifting positions that are antithetical to the Gospel and basic human concerns. The country is in trouble and the evangelical faith of my youth is unrecognizable. I have very little power to do much about any of the above concerns.

But I have a grave concern about something that is totally within my power (by grace alone) to control: my being judgmental of those who claim the same Savior and Lord I do. I realized if God is the Father (parent) of us all, then I have enthusiastically embraced the role of older brother in the Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32). Frankly the parable should either be called “The Parable of the Two Brothers,” or even better “The Parable of the Loving Father.”

If I am to speak prophetic truth, then I need to be open to “new mandate” love. I need to match “podcast” talk with genuine prayer. A “truth” that does not set me free to love my brothers, sisters, and neighbors is not the kind I allegedly believe in. John’s Jesus may have been misguided in saying “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another (John 13:35), but for now I think I am going to take Christ at his word-literally.

So from now on, if I say, preach, or post something that feels like a love-less truth, I am inviting you all to call me on it; unfortunately my heart is a prodigal as well-“Pray also for me a sinner.” Just be careful of your own soul’s good (pretty sure I can take the punch). The older brother is in all of us.