Octopi people

        I was recently catching an episode of a show called Young Sheldon. The brilliant youngster was in church and menacing the minister with his logic and questions about salvation. Did Jesus come to save the whole world? The Universe? If there is an alien race of 'Octopi people' would God Jesus come to save them too as an Octopus person? Whom did Jesus come to save?

          The short and easy answer is to save the lost people of Israel.  Nope, not everyone.  Jesus, raised as a nice Jewish boy, had that reference ingrained in him. I don't think it was too long in Jesus' young life or ministry that Jesus begins to see love for all of creation. How could God create and not love? And so then, Jesus begins to love, cure, mingle and cavort with everyone. Sinners, women, the Roman Centurion, lepers and the like. Paul is the one who extends it even further at God's command.  If we don't believe in that fundamental leap of Paul, then the only really hopeful people would have to at least convert to Judaism to achieve salvation. Interesting thought, eh?  It might not be such a bad idea to be well versed in the religion of our Savior anyway.

        But the question raised is about who is saved?  The question might be if ( or when ) we make first contact, will 'they' be as loved and saved as we are? Even if they are Octopi people. Even if you find the thought of Octopi people silly, the first line of the Lord's prayer is Father, or "Our Father" and we need to let that sink in really deeply into our heart, mind and soul. 

         In the times we live in, when labelling oneself a Christian is seen as a blanket of freedom to abuse, ignore and look down upon others, let us think clearly and deeply that God looks 'down' on all of us. Yet God deemed it fit to become like us and God loves every one of us, every human, every being, every animal, every curve of every rock and every molecule of existence.

        OUR Father. All of us. Every one

Luke 11:1-13

He was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.’He said to them, ‘When you pray, say:
Father, hallowed be your name.
   Your kingdom come. 
   Give us each day our daily bread. 
   And forgive us our sins,
     for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us.
   And do not bring us to the time of trial.’

 And he said to them, ‘Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, “Friend, lend me three loaves of bread;for a friend of mine has arrived, and I have nothing to set before him.”And he answers from within, “Do not bother me; the door has already been locked, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.” I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, at least because of his persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs.

 ‘So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for a fish, will give a snake instead of a fish? Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!’