A God who is LOVE

In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. Rev. 22:2

I love the idea of a "Tree of Life." Something which God has given us for our "healing." Healing is a concept that I love. I love a God that has created everything perfect and we have perceived it as imperfect and made it human. The Divine is already perfect and He/She sends perfect love to all that was created. "God saw everything that he had made at behold, it was very good."

We can use the "leaves" to see ourselves and others as perfect and worthy of Love. (Yeah I know I don't always see myself that way. I have to work at it.)

That is why when I think of the situation involving so much of Christianity in the world today I get incensed. How dare the Westboro Church (and many Fundamentalists) claim that God sends disasters on mankind because of what we do or do not do. How dare they picket funerals of soldiers who have died in the service of our country. Their minds are in need of healing and they are not open to God or listening to God.

{Did you know that you can "listen" to God. And you can hear the divine commands and know that they come from Him. The test is whether or not it is a message of Love that brings healing and love to a situation}

"Our God is Love, unchanging Love, and can we ask for more?" This is from a Hymn which we used to sing in Church. I imagine they still sing it but I am not currently attending a Church. I know there are some churches out there that I could attend but with all of the "holier than thou" We are "saved and you are going to hell" that some Christians have I just don't really want to be around people like that.

I used to be a Methodist and I would watch the "pillars" of the Church and their attitude when someone who wasn't dressed nicely came to Church. I remember particularly when one man who smelled of alcohol came to Church. He was almost shunned. But one person was a shining example. The retired minister went down and sat next to him and welcomed him and put his arm around him and helped him. But he was the only one.

Later I joined another Church and the emphasis there was too much on praying for ones self. We started an "assistance" fund to help some people who would come to the Church for help with money. We didn't give them a lot of money but some. That was effectively stopped by one person who didn't like dealing with them. So we quit. (Did you ever notice how one person can cancel a good thing?) We referred them to Good Neighbor. Now to be fair after that woman passed the Church again opened the assistance fund and will now help someone who comes asking and they continue to contribute to good Neighbor.

But I am still generally upset with the situation with religions in the world today. How dare they! HOW DARE THEY! Pray for God to strike their enemies. Condemn those who do not always live up to their expectations. Suggest that God will hurt or punish them because of who they choose to Love.

Yeah, I know the Bible has some "stuff" in it but folks, the Bible was written by men and it is full of inaccuracies and old Jewish tribal laws and customs. The real message is the one Jesus brought. And from my reading of the Bible (And remember I passed the test with 100%) His message was one of Love. He did not condemn any but the Scribes and Pharisees and those who did not love. He drove out the money changers (Those who would make money from religion - Go Senator Grassley!) and never once did he call on God to "strike dead his enemies." He died on the cross asking God to forgive them. He came to "show us the Father" and to me that Father is Love.

So when I got into bed last night and got to thinking about all the "stuff" I had been reading - not to mention the way the Republicans try to use Religion and fear to remain in power but that is another rant sometime - my mind was churning. I wrote a great blogpost in my head until about 1:30 AM - but I didn't get up to write it. (The last time I did that I got in BIG trouble - But even that situation seems to be being worked on by LOVE) This post is a mere shadow of what I was going to write. But it says essentially what I wanted to say. The fire of the outrage probably doesn't come through but perhaps that is OK.

As I laid there thinking I was reminded of some of them who are hypocrites. They say one thing and live another.  Leaving your wife to marry someone younger or abandoning your children for others to raise.  I remembered them saying that the institution of marriage would be destroyed because of same sex marriage.  Well I don't think so!  I am the child of divorced parents.  And my mother was divorced twice.  She raised me and my sister with the help of her parents.  The fathers weren't needed.  Maybe I turned out all right, maybe I am all screwed up but the institution of marriage had nothing to do with it.

I think of the dead eyes of a man whose initials are C.H. as he was condemning this. And I wondered where the life was in him. There was no soul reflected in his eyes.  A very sad thing to see.  Why can't these people just live their own life and allow others to live theirs?  Religion seems to be about power and control.  And it shouldn't be! It should be about love, and caring and helping one another and I think I agree with a Blog post I read the other day about how the way these "christians" manipulate and brainwash their children is child abuse.  Yep it is.

I sign off a lot of these posts with ARTYAL. That stand for Always Remember That You Are Loved! Right here, right now,every day, every minute by a God who is LOVE. And I shall continue to try to Love you also. Even the poor misguided so-called christians who do not understand what it was that Jesus was trying to teach us.  Hugs - j