Get it? Got it? Good

Philippians 4:10-13 and Matthew 25:31-40

         I long for the day. The day I pray for when we are all considered equal. I pray I will see the day when we all respect each other and are allowed to live freely and loving as children of God, every single one of us. That may never happen though. I look out and see racial bigotry that simmers, that lays beneath the surface and lives long after I thought racial inequality was something that had been conquered, excised from American life. The progress so profound, the evil so insidious. The hate lingers.

        Forgive me if perhaps I am a bit pessimistic about equal rights for gay people. I hope for understanding instead of stereotypes,  for loving concern instead of hate mongering.

          But if the day arrives, I will note that  I rejoice in the Lord greatly that now at last you have revived your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned for me. Perhaps that day will not arrive and all those haters will be subject to our second passage for today.  The self righteous haters will be overlooked because they overlooked us, looked down on us and hated us. When the haters ask when did we ignore you Lord, God will point to a gay person,  the ones overlooked, hated, marginalized. 

           So the question is who have we hated? Who has been hungry ( lacking food or lacking love ) and we turned them away?  Turning away is turning away on God.  It's as simple as what I said yesterday on these pages, we belong to each other and when we dismiss, ignore , hate or overlook, we are overlooking and ignoring God. 

           We can rationalize or they can rationalize, we can all be self assured of our position and very likely can back it up by some passage of scripture ( misquoted or mistranslated ) but God knows it all and it sounds like we'll be held accountable in one way or another.  This isn't a them or us issue because to God, it's all us, there is no them.

          Get it? Got it? Good.

I rejoice in the Lord greatly that now at last you have revived your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned for me, but had no opportunity to show it. Not that I am referring to being in need; for I have learned to be content with whatever I have. I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Matthew 25:31-40

‘When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?” And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.”