I guess that morality is a broad term. In my mind, I think Christ is more concerned with our hearts and affection towards him rather than what is morally good or bad. Some may call my stand "greasey grace". At least that's what they called so many years ago when I first became a Christian.
Since then, my relationship with Jesus has gone out of the doctrinal box.
Not out of the words in the bible, just out of dogma and upbringing.
I get tired of going to church and hearing about how bad everyone and everything is....how bad WE are. Personally, I think most people know that they have this dark sids. A particular scripture in the old testament says the heart is evil. But there is also a scripture in the Old Testament that says God will give humans a new heart. That is when they accept their Messiah and they and their Messiah will be, as it were, one. That new heart is a heart of flesh, not stone. A heart that continues to stay vulnerable to pain if it is in the name of love. A new heart that believes the best about all...that sees humankind the way God sees them.
A few years ago I was in SanFrancisco with my husband and I saw this homeless man.
Immediately I sort of saw him as a mother's son. There he was, a young boy full of life, hope, promise and a mother's love.
And now, a homeless man, who seeminly has given up on himself, his dignity and all hope. Yet I saw him as a child with a future. I think that's the way God sees all humans. To lose sight of God's view of humankind is to lose a hugely important aspect in Christianity. The bible tells us God is love however it seems that over the past 30 years of my walk in Christianity, the word love has been redefined according to subjective culture. That's why getting back to First Corinthians 13 in the bible is a must. It is the true definition of love.
Frankly, people like Louise Hay and Wayne Dyer have been helping me see God's love more than my own tranditonal church. I am not afraid to know that humans are made in the divine image of God. How powerful is that. I think rules and regulations are only there to keep us feeling like there is this security that will protect us from our own selves. I think we are afraid of ourselves and our own power and desires.
Desire is powerful and if we can supress it and make it go away, especially if it's soemthing that we think would drive us away from God, then we feel safer with laws. But as far as I can see, Jesus gave us a new law; that of love. The law of love. Love is the motivator now. At least that is God's hope for us. When we as humans feel as if we can't operate out of love, then the next best thing is duty. I certainly don't want my husband to love me out of duty. Not at all. I would rather not have a husband if he were staying with me because he felt it was his moral obligation. I want it to go deeper, and if it doesn't...let him go. Maybe that's what the scripture in Revelation means when it says something to the effect that God would rather have cold or hot, but not luke warm. It goes on to say if we're luke warm, he would spit us out.
My main desire is to love him more. At least my main desire in my own journey of faith. I have walked for years with this Jesus and he has proven himself over and over and over. Sometimes, when I'm still, I feel him in the room. Right there....sitting or standing or just being....being there for me. At other times I don't feel him at all and if I'm in need, sometimes I could panic. But I've been walking this way for too many years to totally panic. (knock on wood......holding my breath a bit.)
What do I want to hear at church? I want to hear the truth that tells me I AM a child of God, just like ALL OTHER HUMANS. I want to hear that Grace WILL prevail. I want to hear that because for years and years I heard all the stuff that I "should" do if I am really a friend of Christ. Trouble was, I never, ever felt like I measured up. Then bam, my life threw up in my face and I didn't care anymore. I felt like I was dangling from a rope...I let go and there He was, hanging on to ME> I wasn't hanging on to him. I saw that and how could I help but to fall in love with him all over again.
We were ALL created in his image. NO escaping that.
I don't want to hear a "we/they" mentality. Because of this, a lot of my old christian friends have sort of distanced themselves from me...and that's okay. I get it. No real harm done.
In the meantime, I see grace, I see God everywhere these days. David said when he wrote a psalm.."if I go to hell I can't escape your presence". I am grateful that whether it's dark or light, HE is there. I'm just really trying to follow that love that is always there; trying to brain wash myself in HIS love that is UNCONDITIONAL......It isn't too difficult with a friend like Jeus to hang with.
Peace to you and God's blessings.
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