I will be honest - I believe that the God who created the world, you, me, and everything around us we see and don't see loves us unconditionally. UNCONDITIONALLY. And made us perfect just the way we are. Reguardless of color, nationality, economic status, health status, addictions, flaws, genders, and yes - sexual orientation. REGARDLESS.
This is a God too large for me to fully understand. This is a God without a gender. There is no he there is no she - God is outside of these boundries and boxes for humanity. But he made this creation and said it was good.
Sometimes I think we use words that we don't often consider the implications of. God is love. A very common verse many of us refer to. God's love is unconditional is another truth I can not imagine a christian disagreeing with. I feel however that many of my christian brothers and sisters today want to say that while God does love all of us we can only affirm those among us who fit into our groups. This is not unconditionally love. This is not true acceptance.
Never in a million years would I want everyone to share my views and opinions. God gave us all different minds for a reason. But I expect love back from my brothers and sisters who are of different mindsets than me. Love in the forms of respect, courtesy, honestly, and understanding. An understanding that while we may disagree neither of us has to be right or wrong. We don't have to leave the church and begin a new one. We don't have to accuse each other in our own denomination of being the anti-christ. We don't have to be enemies.
In my humble opinion Jesus taught a message of inclusion. He went to religious people and gatherings - he taught in the temple! Yet he also went and made friends with those who today would not be allowed in our churches. We have heard this again and again and I have seen improvement - however today there is not a spirit of love between us. Not a fire burning within us to go out and make disciples.
"Wesley believed that the living core of the Christian faith was revealed in Scripture, illumined by tradition, vivified in personal expereince, and confirmed by reason"
SCRIPTURE, TRADITION, EXPERIENCE, REASON - not one of these categories are easy answers. I don't want to be labeled a liberal, a fundatmentalist, or anything else. I don't want a watered down hipie Jesus hanging out and loving everyone. I want a faith that challenges me to not only be a better person but to entirely rely on my God. I don't want a faith that makes me feel good about myself but a faith in which I can serve and make an impact in the lives of others. I don't want an easy formula of truth straight from the bible. I want a faith entangled in scripture, tradition, my experience, and my reason. A personal relationship with God in which I can live, breathe, and exist.
This is why I am United Methodist. Like any other religion it is not perfect, but the fellowship, group worship, and encouragement I recieve from my fellow methodists helps me grow in my faith. Some days it is easy, and others it is impossible, but everyday there is a hope that God is my rock and my salvation, comfort in the time of storm.
I can only hope that through the difficultness of life and legislation we as United Methodists can continue to grow in our faith, rely on God, and take on the challenge to unconditionally love.
Your sister in Christ~Erin
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