Wideness in God's Mercy

For Christians the image above of the cross symbolizes the wideness of God's mercy and grace in accepting tired, stumbling people into His arms of love. When I observe the Church and talk to Christians I see something different; I see acceptance and love with very tight boundaries that are more to do with cultural preference and narrow middle-class values than grace.

The late Rich Mullins wrote a song called "The Love of God" and today I was sitting having a coffee when I recalled these words:

"There's a wideness in God's mercy

I cannot find in my own

And He keeps His fire burning

To melt this heart of stone

Keeps me aching with a yearning

Keeps me glad to have been caught

In the reckless raging fury

That they call the love of God."

Now THAT is love that I want to be a part of. "The reckless, raging fury that they call the love of God."

Sometimes life tries to beat me down. Over the last couple of months I have been tired and lonely but this morning I lifted myself and stepped in the reckless, raging fury of God's love and I am determined more than ever to tell people Christians, non-Christians, straight and gay that God loves them with a passion that is unsurpassed.