Thinking about these two contrasting ideas today.

God’s forgiveness is conditional. We are only forgiven in as much as we forgive.

However …

God’s love is unconditional. We are loved no matter what. This we take for granted. We shrug off God’s love as if it’s something of a right.

But think about forgiveness – unless we can turn to our friends, family and acquaintances and forgive them – God will not forgive us.

Could it be that love is something we all need, no matter what. But forgiveness is something that can only be experienced as we learn to forgive?

Something to think about.

I was sitting in the church the other morning.
I’m often there alone and seldom turn on the lights
just for myself. There is a good amount of sunshine
that makes its way into the room.

Before I began Morning Prayer I sat still, quiet.
Reflecting on the crucifix and statues of saints that flank the altar,
I noticed something I’d not seen before.
There is a gold outline on the robes of the saints.
With only a reflection of sunlight they became so obvious.
In the full light they blended in with the rest of the statue.

It made me think of the treasures God reveals to us when things
in our spiritual life are dark. We don’t see the blessings in
the full light of our daily lives … sometimes every thing around us
needs to be a little dark before we can really see the beauty
that is always with us.

Last night I attended the 2nd in a series of 5 lectures at local “bible college”. The speaker, a well know spiritual leader and author of several books asked us “What is the unbelievable goal of the spiritual life?”

He said if he surveyed everyone in the room most of us would say
the goal if the Spiritual Life is “getting to go to heaven.”

“Eternal life” he stated “is not the goal of the Spiritual Life, it is the by-product.”

He then went on for 20 minutes or so weaving us through some powerful Scriptures eventually answering his original question …

“The unbelievable goal of the Spiritual Life is to be transformed into the image of Christ so that we can be ‘Christ’ to the world around us.”

Everyone quickly began writing as if they might lose this profound thought.

I sat stunned.

Has the modern community of believers moved so far from the traditional faith that they have forgotten the goal.

The goal isn’t a mere ticket into heaven … our goal is to be changed into the likeness of Christ and bring the message of love and salvation to a lost and dying world.

“But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. ” (2 Cor 3:18)

Have we become so consummed with our own busy-ness that we’ve forgotten our brother?

“Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. ” (2 Cor 5:20)