But Thomas Paine wasn’t looking for reconciliation when he penned those words.  Five months after the Declaration of Independence, facing the onslaught of British forces at Baltimore, Paine refused to believe that God would abandon their cause and give them over to those who would enslave them.  Two days later, on Christmas Day, George Washington would take his troops back across the Delaware to certain victory.  But this was not reconciliation.

Reconciliation tops the news these days as Congress attempts to force vote the passage of healthcare reform in order to avoid gridlock.  However, this only results in half of the country being happy (?); political partisanship will still keep unrest stirred up.

The word reconciliation comes from Latin, meaning “to make good again.”  For something to be reconciled, it must have first to have gone wrong.  True reconciliation doesn’t just require agreement. Even acknowledged forgiveness is not enough.  Hurts can’t just be forgiven; they must be healed.

The Bible speaks of man being reconciled to his fellow (Matthew 5:24), spouses being reconciled to each other (I Corinthians 7:11) and all of us being reconciled to God (II Corinthians 5:18).

The concept of Jesus dying on the cross so that God won’t be mad at me just doesn’t make sense. Founded in the Old Testament tradition of the smell of burning animals being a “pleasing aroma” to the LORD, New Testament scholars affirm that people need a new sacrifice — a once-and-for-all sacrifice. Rather than an animal without defect, the subject would be the sinless Son of God.The Jewish sacrifice was designed to turn away God’s anger from the sins committed by Israel.  Jesus’ death offered the same God-appeasement to all, not just to the Jews.  His body wasn’t burned, but he died nonetheless. And unlike previous sacrifices, this one would get up and walk again.

The parents of multiple children wouldn’t select one of them to take the punishment for all of them. And they certainly wouldn’t put one of them to death so that their anger with the rest of them would be quelled. That’s unthinkable.  So why would we want to impose this same image on our Creator?

God is all about perfection.  He tells us to be perfect (Matthew 5:48).  Jesus doesn’t say that we should try to be perfect; nor does he inform us to wait for perfection after his death — or, better yet, after our death. No, he simply says “Be perfect.”  He knows we can’t do it.  So why would he say it?

He says it because that makes up the process of the journey, as well as the destination of the journey. Things that go wrong need to be made right.  Some things that we have done, or things that have been done to us, seem like they will never be reconciled.  That’s what makes parts of the journey so long.  Time is not a factor in God’s economy.  Physical death is not a hindrance, or an out.  Spiritual death is not an option. Eternal torment in hell is but a myth if it provides no opportunity for sincere reconciliation.

God’s fire burns while we refuse to be reconciled.  Then his fire begins to warm when we desire to make things right and to do his will.  We reach womb temperature when reconciliation has been made complete. Only then can we truly be reborn.

It can seem overwhelming when we consider all of the failures we have experienced in this life.  It would take eternity to right all wrongs, restore all unstable relationships.  I’m 62, but I have childhood memories that feel like they happened yesterday.  I know someday I’ll believe that they REALLY DID happen yesterday

But God’s forgiveness doesn’t give us a pass.  It is merely the first step toward reconciliation.  Even when we are ready to be reconciled with others, they may not be of the same mind.  This calls for patience.  God has ever been patient with us.  Even though he disciplines us, his sun still shines on us.  His trees fill up with green.  His flowers burst forth in colorful splendor.  He loves us that much.

And that’s what he wants from us.  Be reconciled to one another.  Only then can you be reconciled to God.

What if … Jesus isn’t really the son of God?  What if he was just a man who may, or may not, have had a special relationship with an unseen Being?

What if … the Bible isn’t the certified, authentic word of God?  What if it’s just a collection of writings by men whose minds wandered beyond the cosmos?  Is there any hope for us?

What if … some of us got the plan of salvation wrong and end up in fiery eternal torment?  Just because we didn’t say the magic words or believe the right stuff?

What if … it turns out that doctrine isn’t important and God just wanted us all to get along and help one another?

What if … God is testing us to see how we will handle access to both good and evil?

What if … we fail the test?  Are there no do-overs?

What if … life goes on after death, as we know it?  Is it important for us to know in advance?

What if … there is a rapture (Christians disappearing suddenly) and we find ourselves still here?  Can we handle the terrible realization that we have been LEFT BEHIND?

What if … we continue to witness hatred and crime, especially such visited on children, and there is a God, but he let’s it happen anyway?  Can God be evil?

What if … we find out that, with enough faith, more of us could have cured our diseases simply by invoking the healing power of God?

What if … the SHEEP are the many who can’t seem to figure out life or overcome its multiple troubles, and the GOATS are the slick preachers who sell the (supposed) answers and line their pockets?

What if … when we look at a newborn baby and suddenly understand that most of the what-ifs don’t really matter?  That the amazing miracle before us, with its tiny fingers and toes, is completely relying on the givers of life to supply the love and care needed to encourage and sustain this new beginning?   And they look to the Giver of Life to guide them on this journey?

Yeah, I’ll go with that one.

Another snow day.  I live in the foothills of northeast Tennessee.  Unlike the snow-slammed northeastern states and parts of the country that are used to big winters, we practically close down when a handful of flakes team up and stick to the road.  So I’m not complaining.  I don’t have to go to work, and the snow is beautiful.

There’s something about the white, clean-looking appearance of snow.  When it falls gently and begins to muffle the sounds of city life, a peaceful scene soon emerges.  One of my daughters used to live in a state that had a lot of litter and a lot of snow.  (I won’t name the state; I don’t want to make Sarah Palin mad.)  The great thing about the snow was that it covered up the litter, making the landscape look clean.

Religious preachers and teachers throughout the ages have used the snow analogy to address man’s sin and the promise of cleansing.  “Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.” (Psalm 51:7)  “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.” (Isaiah 1:18)  They add in the paradox of Jesus’ blood being the cleansing agent.

I suspect that the teaching is much like the snow in real life.  It covers, giving the appearance of clean, but underneath remains the mud, dirt and litter.  Even though we’re “washed in the blood,” we continue to sin.  We don’t need our sins covered; we need to be rid of them. And the process for overcoming sin requires taking responsibility for them, feeling sorry for them and turning away from them.  This is repentance.

It also is what Jesus accomplished with his visit to planet Earth.  He taught us of a father who would expect no less than perfection — not as our boss, but as our loving parent, who knows that, deep inside, we want it also.  We want to be loved, and we want to learn how to love.  And we are learning that sin gets in the way of experiencing perfect love.  For this message Jesus became a man, that he might relate individually and collectively to his brothers and sisters.  And for this he gave his life.

The importance of his death and resurrection was also to teach us that this time-bound existence that we are in is not the end.  The journey must go on to its completion.  What we can accomplish here will not only make this portion of the journey more pleasant, but it enables us to do the work of the Father to help others on the path who are struggling.

Now a word about WORKS, that evil attempt to earn our salvation, as the preachers would have us to believe.  The work that God has given all of us to do does not secure salvation.  It’s part and parcel of the journey.  I saw a bumper sticker once that read, CHRISTIANS AREN’T BETTER — JUST BETTER OFF.  No one is better off than anyone else.  It’s just that many may find it more difficult to navigate the road ahead.  That’s why they need us.  We certainly need them, because life is about relationships.

I don’t want more crowns than someone else.  I just want to know Christ more and more.  I want to embrace his teaching and feel his Spirit within me, drawing me closer to his Father and my Father.  I want to love, and be loved by those walking, running, limping or crawling on the road beside me.

Unless you live at the North or South Poles, the snow will eventually melt.  By trusting in Christ, the pure whiteness of God’s love won’t cover your sins; it will melt them as your heart begins to thaw and the spring of his glory shines through.

The animal kingdom may have their own language with grunts and growls, but I’m guessing that it doesn’t come close to the human language.  Maybe because we exhibit more emotion and determination. Domesticated animals respond to voice commands because of conditioning and rewards.  We never have a discussion with them regarding their behavior; if so, it would be all one-sided.

My native tongue, English, is replete with innuendos and double-entendres, making if difficult to understand the true intent, let alone try to form a response.  Words are powerful.  Consider the children’s rhyme:

Sticks and stones may break my bones,
But words will never hurt me.

Not true.  Words spoken or written can generate a number of feelings inside of us.  I’ll be the first to admit that in my own life I am often affected by words sent my way.  I must check myself quickly in order not to respond in haste.  I also notice how many times I have misunderstood comments.  On many an occasion I find later that they were not directed toward me, were not meant in the way that I took them, or were certainly not worth me being worked up about.

My wife says I’m a ponderer, and she’s right.  When I receive a negative comment or response from someone, I can mull it over for hours, or even days, before I’m willing to let it go.  On the other hand I can receive a kind remark from someone I don’t generally care for, and it’s as if they were never unkind to me.  Someone that I am confident is an untruthful person can so embellish a statement that I am eager and willing to consider that they are being honest with me.  Along with being a ponderer, I seem to be a responder-er.

Ecclesiastes 3:7 says that there is “a time to be silent and a time to speak.”  This also is critical to the use of words.  Are we willing to listen?  Shouldn’t we be responding with questions to make sure that we understand the comments?

I once asked a pastor friend of mine why it took him so long to answer my question (he could ramble on for nearly twenty minutes just to answer one simple question).  He replied that he had to choose his words carefully so that he wouldn’t have to eat them later.  To be sure, our answers to many questions must be well thought out, but it may benefit those around us to also keep our answers brief.  Brief questions and answers, with special effort to leave out the tension, makes for meaningful dialogue.

The Bible says that we are to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15), but warns against misuse of our speech (James 3:9):

With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness.

When we consider the great impact that our words has on our family members, teachers, employers, co-workers, friends and enemies alike, let us remember the advice of Jesus, God’s son, when he said, “Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.”

Say what you need to say, but be sure you really need to say it.  And be careful how you speak.

Matthew 10:7  The kingdom of heaven is near.

Mark 1:15  The kingdom of God is near.

A friend and I were recently discussing where we are in relation to our walk with Christ and our relationship with God.  We know we live in this world, which is made up of kingdoms.  They may be run by dictators, presidents, congresses or parliaments, but it is a kingdom nonetheless.  Like it or not, we are subjects of them.

Jesus introduced the concept of a new kingdom, or at least a different kingdom.  The gospel writer Matthew exclusively quoted Jesus as saying the kingdom of heaven, while the other gospels refer to the kingdom of God.  Jesus prayed to God, “your kingdom come, your will be done.” (Matthew 6:10)  He once told the Pharisees, “The kingdom of God is within you.” (Luke 17:21)  The kingdom of God was inside the Pharisees? Really?  Look it up. When questioned by Pontius Pilate, Jesus responded with, “My kingdom is not of this world.”  (John 18:36)

So, do we have a kingdom here, a kingdom there (heaven), or a kingdom everywhere?

I pick Door Number 3.  One problem we have as believers (and we can thank scholars and teachers for that) is that we’re constantly trying to fit the various shaped pegs in their correspondent holes.  We want answers, and we’re flustered when so many well-educated people can come armed with ancient texts and modern-day parables in order to enlighten us, yet end up with such diverse positions.

I don’t think that God uses pegs or holes in his shaping of our realm.  He leaves that hodgepodging to us. His kingdom is intricately woven into the very fabric of our existence.  Like the various forms of water (solid, liquid, gas), the kingdom is only understood at your particular point of reference.And you will find that your point of reference keeps moving as you are being made holy, or being sanctified.

Heaven is a place in which we will ultimately end up, but for many it will come with fear and trembling, along with sorrow and pain.  It’s a good place.  Notice that there are no references to the kingdom of hell. Satan never really gets to be boss.

God is, and always will be, our commander-in-chief.  We must not associate the negative aspects of earthly leaders with how God will rule.  The basis of his order is LOVE.  We must also be careful not to associate the superficial human aspects of love with the pure love of God.  While we are gradually feeling the impact of his love now, we will never fully experience it until we reach total reconciliation with him, which comes through complete reconciliation with our fellow beings.

The concepts of the heavenly kingdom aid us in addressing the rules of our earthly kings.  While we may have trouble in, or be banished from, our various kingdoms here, we will NEVER be banished from his kingdom — not completely.  A portion of outer darkness, however, may be required to help us on our journey.

Back on earth, his kingdom, or Holy Spirit, is within us, ready to teach us at all times.  We are decision makers.  He tells us what to do, or don’t do.  Our forward progression on this game-board of Life depends on our decisions.  If we fail, we fail.  Roll the dice, and keep moving.

Finally, we cannot lay claim to exclusive access to God’s kingdom as Christians.  Others are forcefully advancing the kingdom in ways that we cannot understand.  They, too, are God’s children.  Others, sadly, are in a catatonic state.  They too will see the light, in time.  But, thank God, God won’t let us manipulate their lives forever.  Eventually we will learn and promote the power of love.

Father, forgive us, for we know not what we do.  Your kingdom come.  Your will be done.  Amen.

Usually that type of phrase is associated with negativity.  Like new day, same old stuff. We have a new year, but we’re stuck with the same old God.  I know that’s not how the church meant it.

They anticipate the New Year to bring change, both good and bad.  They foresee trouble on a global scale.  Unrest, hatred, ugliness.  But, thank God, he never changes.  His promises are sure.  He never goes back on his word. When he makes a resolution, he keeps it.

I do find comfort in the fact that God is somewhat predictable, as best as we can determine.  I mean, nobody wants God to go postal on us.  When those around us become untrustworthy, he remains faithful and true.

But may I be so bold as to say that I might just advocate a new year, different God? What I mean is that we should be growing in our faith, and as we do so, we learn more about who God really is.  Jesus prayed that his disciples would understand what eternal life is, that they might know God as the only true God, and recognize himself as God’s only son who was sent to them.  (John 17:3)

If we’re not evolving in our relationship with our Creator, then we surely have a new year, same stuff.  No Christian should claim to have arrived.  That’s what bugs me about the salvation experience.  We go forward, accept Christ as our Savior, then take a back seat to the “finished work of Christ.”

God doesn’t want us on the bench (yeah, it’s football season!)  He wants us to take the position that he has set out for us.  We’re really only alive when we get knocked down, but get right back up.  When we huddle with our fellow humans and develop a plan to make humanity better.  When we keep our eyes on the goal of a close encounter with the Almighty.  When we explore and experience God’s love.

Love is at the center of all that matters.  (I Corinthians 13)  It challenges us, but also shapes us.  When we consider the things that God has prepared for us under his banner of love, then the new year can be exciting.

Along with the new day, new hour and precious moments.

I can’t keep them.

Wow, that was easy!  Now, what do I do with the rest of the article?

It’s true; I can’t keep them.  I never could figure out resolutions anyway.  If you could keep them, you wouldn’t need them.  Your self-discipline would help you to order your life and ensure that you do the right things daily.

Resolutions are really promises that you hope to keep.  Promises, however, can be difficult if circumstances change.  I promise that I will love and honor you forever. Then she (or he) gets fat, or worse, begins to treat you horribly. They don’t understand you, but, strangely enough, the co-worker does.  And he (or she) smells better, or looks better, and you can imagine what life would be like with them.

The Bible puts heavy duty responsibility on promises, especially promises to God.  Failing to keep your promise to God brings a curse.  Bad things will happen to you.  So, just don’t promise, right?  But then you might be accused of being apathetic.

A resolution usually involves a life-changing decision, like losing weight, don’t bite your nails, don’t waste so much time playing computer games or watching TV.  The list is endless.

New Years resolutions fail for two reasons. One, the minute after midnight on January 1 of any year has no magical power.  It provides you an opportunity to pre-fail because your damaging lifestyle will be dramatically different that first day of the new year.  Then, you fail because your eye is on the end goal rather than the process.  You jump in with both feet, you sweat, you struggle — always with your eye on the prize.  In a very short time, however, the goal begins to look unattainable.  Maybe you’re meant to be fat, drunk, lazy, keep the smoker’s cough or, for whatever reason, be generally out of control.

New Years resolutions are acted out by millions throughout the year.

I’m starting my diet on Monday…

I’ll work harder at my new job….

I’ll start going to church right after football season…

I’ll just finish this pack of cigarettes, then I won’t buy any more…

What makes it harder is that you probably know at least one person that did it. Just walked away from it and changed one aspect of their lives.  And they very likely reminded you that they did it; why can’t you?

Our relationship with God is very much like New Years resolutions.  I don’t think he wants us to make them.  Jesus taught us to be able to recognize right from wrong.  The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-8) has some great examples of how we rationalize doing things that, in the end, are wrong.  He teaches, and shows by his own life, that our daily relationship with his, and our, Father doesn’t require a promise — just an action.

There is always something to do.  Most of the time it isn’t a grand thing.  It’s an individual, moment-by-moment, decision to do, or not do.  We were created to work, whether it pays a wage or not.  We are called to be constantly conscious of each little thing we do.  We are to rate it based upon its ability to satisfy, taking into consideration the outcome of that action based upon our previous experience.  If we fail, the whole effort is not lost.  There will be thousands more opportunities.

I write this from experience.  From 62 years of successes and failures (baby and toddler-hood aside), none of which will make headlines.  Each day is a gift.  Each day is an opportunity to tackle small things, which are building blocks to greater things, the greatest of which is to truly know the love of God.  To realize that one day, in his timing, perfection will be complete in me.

I will not look at that day.  I will only look at today.  Life is living and moving around me, and I intend to be a part of it.

This is life eternal.

John was confused.  Why did his soon-to-be-famous cousin feel the need to be baptized?  John had a special connection with Jesus as far back as he could remember, even getting excited to learn that Jesus was in the womb next to him.  At some point he learned that it was his mission to announce the coming of the perfect Lamb of God.

John prepared the people by performing a type of Mikvah, a Jewish ritual of symbolically cleansing from sin.  They were to cast off (or repent of) the unclean things that soiled them, so that they would be ready to meet God’s one and only son, their own King of Kings.  Now he was here, standing before John, asking to be baptized.

Even though John was a confirmed Nazarite (no drinking, no haircuts, etc), he failed to see why Jesus shouldn’t be baptizing him, not the other way round. The scholars tell us that Jesus planned the event in order to kick off his ministry (dove comes down, God speaking).  They also say that this was a way for Jesus to identify with the human condition, feeling the burden of sin, yet sinless in himself.

Church leaders tell us that Jesus’ baptism was set as an example for us, that we might follow in the practice, as we do with Communion, or with healing (for our spirit-filled brethren).  From the beginning the church would struggle over reasons and modes, even splintering into cells formed on individual interpretation of scripture.

Whether we dip, dunk, pour or sprinkle, baptism has achieved a permanent place in most church ordinances.  Does it bring about salvation?  Does it seal church membership, making salvation complete?  Do you go to hell if you don’t do it?  Do you have to do it again when you mess up really badly?  Is my salvation in jeopardy if I got it wrong and dipped instead of dunked?

How can the seventeen words of Jesus in this verse cause so much commotion and division in those who would call him Savior?  Jesus said, “Let it be so now,” meaning that it may not be necessary later?  For him?  For anybody?  He said that it was “proper” to “fulfill all righteousness.”  What could he mean by that? Righteousness simply means doing the right thing.

See, anyone can be righteous.  Just do the right thing.  But what is the right thing?  I believe that Jesus was doing what his heavenly Father told him to do.  He didn’t require a full explanation before he would agree to do it.  Nor did he need to convince John the Baptist that it was the right thing.  He immediately consented.  Both men obeying.

Sometimes we need to do little things to remind us of greater things.  John had told the people that Jesus wouldn’t need water to baptize, that he would use the Holy Spirit and fire to cleanse us.  Burning off the bad that harms us can’t be such a bad thing, can it?

I have no issue with using ritualistic things to help remind us of God’s love and our sanctification.  Daily rituals of all sorts, not necessarily meant to be religious, can be used by God to teach us spiritual lessons.  We must be careful, however, not to put the ritual above the realization that our Father created us to live, and to live abundantly.  Abundant living can only be found in obedience.  Obedience can be seen in the small things, things that can be so easily overlooked.  Particularly in the matter of interpersonal relations.

God created us to love, care, serve and pray for each other.  Sinning and doing good cannot abide in the same moment.  Certainly, not every day is sunshine and roses.  Rain and teardrops must also fall.  This is the ebb and flow of life.  But out of him flows the living water that parts the clouds and heals the wounds.

Oh, precious is the flow!

Many of us relished our 4-day weekend, but Thanksgiving came and went all too fast.  I always enjoy seeing my daughters, son-in-laws, and grandsons.  I missed seeing a close friend of mine who was away at his sisters this year, but I delighted in being with a Russian girl that my daughter is caring for.  We only had three carnivores at a table set for nine, so a partial bird was prepared.  I prayed over the meal, actually giving thanks for taste buds.  That’s why we gathered, right?

The food was delicious, as expected, right down to the marshmallow-topped sweet potatoes that had set the oven on fire a little earlier.  I didn’t fall asleep after the meal, which was a miracle, and I made a conscious effort to engage everyone in the room.  Another daughter, son-in-law and grandson joined us for desert, having shared their meal with other relatives. I truly was, and am, thankful for those that are in my life.

The Bible says to give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (I Thessalonians 5:18)  It’s easy to give thanks when things are going well, but how do you give thanks when life is, well, lifeless?  I remember in several previous Thanksgiving prayers preaching (how many prayers have you heard that are nothing more than sermons?) that we shouldn’t relegate giving thanks to just one day of the year, that we should always be thankful.

Few of us will ever get to the bottom of the pit like Job.  Poor fellow could write a country-western song.  Lost his business, his family and his health.  Then his wife started nagging.  Can we imagine any situation in which we could not find one thing to be thankful for?

My mother owned a couple of restaurants in Orlando when I was growing up.  She also collected “treasures”, as she called them, or what some would call knick-knacks.  One such item was a framed saying which read, “I used to complain that I had no shoes, until I met a man who had no feet.” Certainly one way to look at things is to realize that it could be worse.

But I would rather take each trouble and use it as an opportunity to locate within my life something for which I could be grateful.  This cold I have is miserable, but at least I’ve still got my appetite.  The house burned down, but my family got out alive.  Someone very close to me has died, but I have great hope that I will see them again.  I lost my job, but God still loves me, and I’m not starving.

We humans have the greatest gift that God can give.  Each other.  Isn’t it interesting that Thanksgiving is celebrated just before the most stressful time of the year?  From Black Friday to Christmas Day the hustle and bustle of Christmas planning degenerates to who-gets-what, false cheer and maxed-out credit cards.  A psychiatrist friend of mine once told me that the weeks following Christmas is generally their busiest time, when depression takes hold.  The Christ child returns to the manger, and the bleak new year looms ahead, with its wars and rumors of wars — another year of survival.

But the hope of Christ is that our hearts will reach out to other hearts.  Our Christmas sharing will be genuine.  We will be conscious of hurt when it surfaces in others.  We will put away our pride and share our own pains and sorrows.  Some will reject our care.  Move on.  There are others that will take a helping hand or accept a listening ear.  We don’t always have to fix their problems; just being there is a wonderful beginning.

Verse 17 of I Thessalonians 5 says pray continually. I’ve written before that my two well-worn prayers throughout each day are “Help me, Lord” and “Thank You.”  My greatest desire is that I will become more and more obedient to my God and Father, so that my “Thank You’s” will begin to tip the scale.

That sure made for a somewhat uncomfortable conversation. She was pleasant and gracious; I made small talk. She countered with small talk. Even though I wasn’t prompted, I readily confessed that we had missed last Sunday because of a family reunion, which was true. Then I thought, “What do I say next — see you tomorrow?” What came out of my mouth, however, was the fact that I had to be perfectly honest with her.

I told her that we were unsure as to where we were going with respect to church attendance, regardless of which church it might be. I explained that for at least 40 years I had filled each and every position of the church, with the exception of full time pastor and church secretary. I wasn’t retired from church, nor was I tired of church. I honestly couldn’t say what I expected to get from church, or what I felt that the Lord would have me give to the church.

I don’t know why she called. Was she really concerned about us, or was she just checking us off her to-do list? For some church is a career. For others it is a business. I told her that what drew us to that church was her. For a number of Sundays we observed someone leading the congregation who had a genuinely sweet spirit. Someone who preached and lived love. Someone who could be caught with a lump in her throat or a tear on her cheek when she encountered sadness or inexpressible joy.

Beyond that we had no church experience that kept us there. Sunday after Sunday we encountered friendly but distant folks who didn’t want to know anything about us. We sang hymns and spiritual songs with messages that we no longer fully concurred with. With my reasonably tolerable voice, the only comment other than “Good to see you today!” was (pointing to the choir) “You need to be up there!.”

Perhaps we didn’t give it a fair shake. Maybe we should have attended a few functions, gotten to know people better. But that would lead to the next challenge. If you have read other articles in this blog, you would readily see that our thinking is spiritually outside the box. Serious conversations of a heavenly nature would likely make traditional believers feel, at best, uncomfortable, at worst, offended.

So here we are. Alone again. But not really. I told the pastor that our walk with the Lord was solid, whether in church or out. I honestly reported that not a day goes by that my wife and I don’t discuss some spiritual point. We were doing just that at the moment she called. Earlier that day we had discussed with a friend how sad it is that so many denominations can’t put aside their differences and join together in love. Why they can’t persist in searching for the true truth and insist on relentlessly seeking a common bond, whose inner core is the incredible love of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

It’s something to hope for.