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The Cross

Everything. You know that, right? Our pardon, our righteousness, yes, but not only this. His love. For us. Always. Everywhere. [Warning: I'm going to use graphic, visceral, language to make a point.] Atheists. Queers. Perverts. Communists. Bernie Madoff. Barack Obama. Dahmer. That guy you don't like. He died for them. And each of us will have to answer for the distance between His love and our love in return. But there is no love of God somehow outside of Christ. It just won't happen. You could be horribly mistaken concerning the truth about God, but if you love God, you are loving Christ. It isn't hard, but people try to make it hard. Papa Francis has been talking this way from the get-go, and it makes people nervous. I like it. If it doesn't make you jumpy, you don't understand the extravagance of God's love.

If you need to read about it in detail, do it. Some of us are Uncle Larry, whose joyous heart beats with a desire for theological precision. And some of us are Pope Francis, who is doing his best papist Billy Graham impression. Either way, it's all the same. God is Love, and Love is The Answer.

May your day be filled with Love! A Love beyond all telling!

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