All Welcome
I guess we all have our favourites of some things. Favourite flavour of something; favourite perfume; favourite route to get somewhere; favourite place to go for peace, calm and restoration. Or some suggestions from Maria:
Yet sometimes it is impossible to choose a favourite. Different things have different merits making them different, but equal. It is after all impossible to choose a favourite from amongst your own children, or nieces and nephews, friends, pet or other special relationships. They are all favourites!
1 Peter 1:17-23 (CEV)
17 You say that God is your Father, but God doesn’t have favorites! He judges all people by what they do. So you must honor God while you live as strangers here on earth. 18 You were rescued from the useless way of life that you learned from your ancestors. But you know that you were not rescued by such things as silver or gold that don’t last forever. 19 You were rescued by the precious blood of Christ, that spotless and innocent lamb. 20 Christ was chosen even before the world was created, but because of you, he did not come until these last days. 21 And when he did come, it was to lead you to have faith in God, who raised him from death and honored him in a glorious way. That’s why you have put your faith and hope in God.
22 You obeyed the truth, and your souls were made pure. Now you sincerely love each other. But you must keep on loving with all your heart. 23 Do this because God has given you new birth by his message that lives on forever.
And so we are reminded that God has no favourites. He looks at all people equally. He loves us all, sees what each of us does, offers his forgiveness to each and every one of us the same way. That is good news for us all. However I feel about myself, God’s gifts are no less for me that they are for anyone else – and they are no greater for me than anyone else. No one has any more or less access to God and all he offers.
But with that comes a responsibility. Because if God has no favourites, neither should we. we have no right to decide anyone is any more or less worthy of God’s love and forgiveness than anyone else; not right to stop anyone coming to him; and no right to feel superior to anyone else – or for that matter inferior. God loves me and the next man or woman equally. We may be very different, but we are no better or worse. We are all people in need of forgiveness, love and grace – and that is what God gives.
Thank you God
that each of us is special
to you,
none of us
any more or less special
than anyone else.
Thank you for loving me
the same as you do
everyone else
and giving me
the same gifts of
forgiveness and your love.
As I realise that,
may I respond
by sharing that love,
not feeling the need to decide
who you give to
or not,
but sharing,
gratefully,
together
in all your gifts,
for only by your grace,
your love,
your forgiveness
can any of us
come to you
Pam's Perambulation 