Fact based evidence

       One of the things about the human mind, we really do have an innate sense of trial and error. We do tend to seek answers and and to that end we seek evidence and make judgments. Science to me is all about the discovery of God by human beings with relatively feeble minds.  All one need do is note the percentage of people that still think the earth is flat or that the moon landing is a hoax.  Even while we seek evidence, we are quick to jump to conclusions. Why let little old facts get in the way. Really. 

       When I come out to someone and note that I am gay and further perhaps that I am married, I am sure a whole range of different thoughts may come to mind.  One of those might be all the filthy things 'we do' or that it is such a disgusting 'lifestyle'. I don't find these kind of ridiculous judgments helpful or acceptable any more than thinking about one's own parents having sex is acceptable. What people do or don't do is none of my business nor anyone else's.

         I could make the same kind of judgment about the 'straight lifestyle' what with the divorce rate, infidelity, adultery, one nights stands, porn and casual sex.  In a less voyeuristic vane, what judgments do we make on scant evidence?  I have heard people use the word 'always' when relaying a story about someone else. Faulty proclamations based on false evidence and little evidence.  I think this kind of thing used to be called gossip and it isn't a good thing at all.

        In today's passage, Jesus is judged. Surely he cannot be the Messiah because he does not come from this place or that place.  How is it that they 'know' exactly where a person is from?  Is it possible they might be holding erroneous beliefs about a prophet? Could a poor judgment be the basis for their objection?  Do we know more than God?

          When God entreats us to love one another as I have loved you, are there stipulations attached?  In our thirst for so called knowledge, do we place our own judgments ahead of God's? Just because we do not understand something does not give us the right to make summary judgments against people, races, religions or alternate sexualities.  

        While we use our brains to seek God in evidence and science, let us never use that 'knowledge' as a basis for hate or misunderstanding. The thing about science and knowledge is that the more we know, the more we realize we don't know. The only thing we can be absolutely certain of is that God loves us and the entirety of creation, no more and no less than us. We may not understand it, but it is so.  If you want evidence, I can only point to the willingness of Jesus to allow himself to be flogged, whipped spat upon and nailed to a cross - for all of us.  That is evidence I can abide in.

John 7:37-52

 On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, he cried out, ‘Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, “Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.” ’ Now he said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive; for as yet there was no Spirit, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

 When they heard these words, some in the crowd said, ‘This is really the prophet.’ Others said, ‘This is the Messiah.’ But some asked, ‘Surely the Messiah does not come from Galilee, does he? Has not the scripture said that the Messiah is descended from David and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?’ So there was a division in the crowd because of him. Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him.

 Then the temple police went back to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, ‘Why did you not arrest him?’ The police answered, ‘Never has anyone spoken like this!’ Then the Pharisees replied, ‘Surely you have not been deceived too, have you? Has any one of the authorities or of the Pharisees believed in him? But this crowd, which does not know the law—they are accursed.’ Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus before, and who was one of them, asked, ‘Our law does not judge people without first giving them a hearing to find out what they are doing, does it?’ They replied, ‘Surely you are not also from Galilee, are you? Search and you will see that no prophet is to arise from Galilee.’