For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. -John 3:16
Dear members and friends,
God loves humanity. This is the truth from the Bible. So why are there so many people who believe that God is angry at humans? Or even worse, I just read a news article that states, “Millennials feel that church-goers appear to be more narrow-minded and judgmental than others.” How did this happen when we believe in a God who is eternal love? The sad fact is that Christianity as an organized religion was instituted and empowered by the Roman Emperor Constantine. Constantine not only made Christianity the religion of the Roman Empire, but also made the Church the governing body of his empire. So in effect, most if not all theologies and church doctrines after Constantine were written in favor of or in justification of the institution and power of the Christian Church within the Roman Empire. The true question is, where do the teaching of Christ fit in this kind of institutionalized Christianity?
Still, the truth is that God loves humanity eternally and unchangingly and there is only one thing that God commands us to do: to love others as one loves oneself. The Greek word used in this context to describe love is agape. Agape is love that requires time and effort to properly implement because it means the receiver of such love is not only loved, but also essentially benefited by such love. In other words, the love that God has been trying to teach humans is the love that is felt as love by the receiver, not the giver. Thus, loving truly requires patience and persistence. I invite you all to reflect up on agape in this season of love.
Blessings, Rev. Junchol Lee