Salvation calls us to live our lives in reflection of our experiences of God and at the same time graces that living with life-giving power.
This makes perfect sense to me. How do I express it so the Easter crowd, especially those who don't believe they've experienced God, can develop their faith and faithful living. I'm watching "Amish Grace" which is a perfect example of what I'm talking about. The forgiveness of the Amish was something that was not easy or even neat and clean. But as they struggled to continue to forgive (not pardon or forget) by living in reflection of their relationship with God, they continued to grow in their ability to forgive and by God's grace life giving power was a blessing given to all including the wife of Charlie.
Everyone experiences God all the time. Unfortunately, many people aren't able to identify their spiritual experiences or the Church has damaged their desire to either experience God or recognize these experiences. God is often thought of as an old man with a long beard. The truth is, we don't know that the divine power that we usually refer to as God even looks like a human being. Perhaps it would be easier for some to envision God as energy. Energy that permeates all while providing guidance, grace, agape, life, forgiveness, salvation, and much more than we even know or understand. God is often thought of as the judge and punisher that is to be feared. Many spiritual leaders teach this. God is often thought of as being the one to decide the time of life and death. God is often thought of as the inflictor of pain, sickness, injury, struggle. Any time we paint a definitive picture of God we sell our creator and ourselves short.
I wish I could give everyone the ability to recognize divine action and presence in their lives, whatever/whoever the divine is. I wish everyone knew how truly precious they are. Because I believe that if we truly knew, we couldn't be so cruel, evil, hateful, hurtful to one another. Mental illness aside, I don't believe we could treat one another badly intentionally. Is it realistic to believe that all humans could come to this understanding? Is it realistic to believe that all humans could choose to come to this understanding? With the current state of our choices in living, it sure doesn't feel like it. Regardless, please make the choice for yourself to live as one beloved by the divine. Choose to know the divine increasingly each day. Choose to believe that the one who created you, who breathed life into you is one of grace, strength, integrity, fullness, blessings, forgiveness. Choose to grow your living and life in ways that enhance others as well as yourself. Choose to be.
