The Wrath of Kh.... God.

Romans 1:16-25

          The world certainly is an interesting place.The actions of man show the depth we can sink to and the heights we can soar to.  One would think that the heights we soar to would be accomplished and assigned to those who are faithful servants of God. Not necessarily Christian, Muslim, Buddhist or any other religion, but faithful servants of God. Sometimes this is true when you see some of our great religious leaders. They are not perfect obviously but have risen above the imperfections of their humanity to become a conduit of God and are able to embrace the divinity within them for the good of all. Think Thomas Merton, Desmond Tutu, The Dalai Lama and many more. Pretty heady stuff.

            There are also religious people like those that incite hate, started the Crusades and those that cover up child sexual abuses at the hands of clergy. There are those that focus on power and hollow teachings that tarnish the message that is supposed to be given, emulated and lived. This latter type of religious are spoken of in today's passage.  I shall not dwell on it too long  but I am astounded and happy that scripture captures this message. It indicts those that use half truths, lies, power and misrepresentations of Holy Scripture as weapons against the people of God.  Think Roman Catholic church, think Westboro Baptist church. Think the thoughtless drones of Catholicism ranting and railing against the love and rights of the gay community while they themselves are guilty as sin. And there it is in scripture, For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and wickedness of those who by their wickedness suppress the truth. 

             If there is one way in which we can all escape the 'wrath of God' , it is to emulate the life and message of Jesus. There is no bureaucracy there, no seminary of doctrinal purity. There is compassion, love and forgiveness. Without us condemning others which we cannot do, can we at least indict ourselves for whatever roles we play in perpetuating ungodliness and wickedness in our world? What can we do? Simple acts of love and kindness are probably the best and most convincing of actions. 

For I am not ashamed of the gospel; it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written, ‘The one who is righteous will live by faith.’

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and wickedness of those who by their wickedness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. Ever since the creation of the world his eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has made. So they are without excuse; for though they knew God, they did not honour him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their senseless minds were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools; and they exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling a mortal human being or birds or four-footed animals or reptiles.

Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the degrading of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed for ever! Amen.