Rev Sophia A Foutres

No Greater Love

     Rohr explained what I experienced through this journey, “The people who know God well—the mystics, the hermits, those who risk everything to find God—always meet a lover, not a dictator. God is never found to be an abusive father or a tyrannical mother, but always a lover who is more than we dared hope for…God is a lover who receives and forgives everything.” ^[1]I searched for answers regarding hell, ones that I had hoped were different than my fleeting relationship with traditional evangelical views and found God woven throughout history as one who is through and through a loving community of love. A God who continuously invites humanity to join and when we do not, provides the fire to necessary to remind of us that we belong to a family and are pure gold in God’s eyes.  McVey explained it well, “To properly understand God’s nature, it is important to realize that he doesn’t wait for us to make a move to resolve our problem of sin. As Pure Love, he acts independently of what we do or don’t do. When humanity wasn’t seeking him, he came looking for us! (Romans 3:11).”^[2]Although the details and technicalities of our final destiny are still largely a mystery to me, I feel I have discovered more of who I believe God to be on earth and in heaven—a fierce lover not willing that any of God’s own children should be left out of the family.  In Adam, we were lost for awhile, but in Christ we now have a way to belong together forever, and for this I am truly thankful and humbled.

But what about Now?

     If all will one day be saved through Jesus, why bother with evangelism or even calling oneself a Christian? Although I believe Jesus is savior of all, I believe on earth we have to help others come into a place of surrender to make Jesus Lord of their lives as well. I believe that as Christians we are called to bring heaven to earth and if we can bring what will be our eternal fate of restoration to those suffering on earth, why would we hesitate a moment more?  My prayer is that the future of the church would be motivated by love for the family to be reconnected. How much more if we invite people back to the family table with love and invitation, instead of fear and judgement will they come running and eager to spread this love?   As a beloved of God, I want to train others up to be ready to proclaim the love and invitation of God who accepts us as we are, a mess and then pours over us with fire to purify us and oil to heal us!