Either Way

Kathleen Chesto once wrote about an event that happened in her family. One day her five-year-old child came up to her in the kitchen and asked, “Mom, is God a grown-up or a parent?” Mom was a little puzzled by the question. “I’m not sure what you mean,” she said. “Is there a difference between a grown-up and a parent?” “Oh yes,” her five-year-old answered quickly. “Grown-ups love you when you are good, but parents love you no matter what.”

It is true. Most parents love their children unconditionally.

I saw a church advertisement in the newspaper one year around Christmas time that read something like this: “It makes a difference to Santa whether you’ve been naughty or nice, Jesus however, loves you either way.”

That is also true. Our faith teaches us that there is nothing we can do to earn God’s love. It is freely given, not dependent on how smart we are, how good we are, or what we have achieved or not achieved in life.

The Apostle Paul put it this way, “ For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God— not the result of works…” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

There are so few places in life where we experience unconditional love, forgiveness, and acceptance that it’s almost hard to believe. But it is the central promise of the Gospel. That’s good news to me. I hope it is for you as well.

Our prayer today was written by Roger Kunkel, founder of Dial Hope. Let us pray: Loving God, who changes rivers in their course and alters the paths of stars, infuse us, and flood us today with joy and hope. Let the radiant power of your Holy Spirit destroy any negativity or cynicism in us, and fill us with feelings of love and affirmation. Help us to say yes to the things that are good, and no to the things that devalue life. Mold us more in the image of Christ, for it is in his name we pray. Amen.