18 But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness.[i] 19 They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. 20 For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.” Romans 1:18-20
What a crazy time to live in the United States of America! I thought I had seen it all as a child growing up in Mississippi with churches burned, lynchings, and segregation. 60 years later, I see something worse. I see what Paul writes about in Romans 1.
The Gospel or the good news of the New Testament that Jesus practiced is summed up in Ephesians 2, which tells us our relationship with God comes from God’s grace, not from obedience to the law. How can you claim to be a Christian (claim to be a follower of Jesus) and not understand Matthew 25, which tells us how we will be judged?
Paul writes in Galatians 5:1 “So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.” Christ sets us free from the demands of the law so we can learn how to love God and love our neighbor as ourselves. Jesus defined our neighbor in the parable of the Good Samaritan. The Good Samaritan was considered unclean or a migrant, an illegal immigrant under the law, but he helped a Jew who would have been declared unclean by the law for touching an unclean person.
Jesus condemned the religious leaders of his day, “Blind guides! You strain your water so you won’t accidentally swallow a gnat, but you swallow a camel!” (Matthew 23:24). We are so worried about illegal immigrants that we deny assistance to those who have medical needs, are hungry, and homeless. No doubt there is waste in government. It begins at the top with our current leadership, who make laws that benefit themselves and their views rather than what is best for all the people.
My prayer is for all of us who have chosen to follow this path. May God open our eyes to see the error or our way for allowing this to continue. We need Grace, not law. We need mercy not punishment. May God have mercy on us and all those who have already suffering from this path of destruction.
The Curious Pilgrims 