Jesus

Right after we brought R. and Y. home, we ran into a Chinese man at the library. Y. was happy to find a Mandarin speaker. He and I tried to have a conversation, but his English was only marginally better than my Mandarin, and Y. was not yet at at point to act as translator. After some confusion and liberal use of Google translate, he finally managed to ask why we adopted Y. and R. I admit to being stymied for a moment how to answer such a complicated question with such a limited ability to communicate across language and culture. My answer is both truthful and possibly my proudest moment in communicating in Mandarin. My reply, in Mandarin, was, "Jesus loves me, I love them." 

And here is my theology in a nutshell. Jesus, being fully God and fully human, loves humanity so much that He reached out to love us, including conquering death. While He was living on earth, He loved outrageously... poor, rich, highly educated priests, not formally educated fishermen, women, outcasts, Samaritans, tax collectors, army commanders. He loved... and still loves... people regardless of what they've done wrong or what they get right. (We're great at the latter, not so great at the former.) Jesus reaches out to us first. 

Parenting hurt children has taught me a lot about my relationship with God. I want to love them, but they are often so stuck in their hurt that it is very difficult to accept that love or even to believe in it. They have trouble truly believing that I want the best for them. They keep trying to grab back control because they think they know what they need better than I. Essentially, they are still learning to trust me and my love for them. It is truly no different than how I am in relationship with God. He loves me, but how much do I truly believe it? How often do I try to take control out of His hands and do what I think is best? I want to fully trust Him, but it is hard.

Jesus is the better parent. He doesn't get impatient, He doesn't set ridiculous consequences, He doesn't lose His temper and worry that I'll never figure it out. Instead, He comes along side me and love me... just as I am. All the mistakes and ugliness that I do my best to keep hidden, He knows all about. And He loves me. 

And He loves you... mistakes and ugliness and all. Here is the great freedom of the Gospel. We have a God who loves us no matter what. Who loves us no matter how much we mess up. Who loves us. And what do we need to do in return? He asks us to love others as outrageously as He loves them... everyone. No matter the color of their skin, their citizenship, their orientation, their bank account, their health, their religion. Our job is to love... because He loves us.

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