Today is October 31… known as All Hallow’s Eve, or Halloween. It was originally a day of prayer and remembrance in preparation for All Saints Day, November 1. All Saints Day is a holy celebration for all the saints who have entered eternal rest.
For Lutherans, however, October 31 is known as Reformation Day. It is the date in 1517 when Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses (discussion topics) to the church door in Wittenberg, Germany. While often thought of as the catalyst for the Protestant Reformation, Luther was not the first reformer to oppose the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. Perhaps he is the most famous, though, because his followers were called “Lutherans,” and thus a new denomination of Christianity was born. Lutherans were the first to break away from the Roman Catholic Church, and others soon followed, becoming Baptists, Methodists, and Presbyterians. In 1534, King Henry VIII broke from the Roman Catholic Church and formed the Church of England, now known as the Anglican/Episcopal Church. Today, there are countless Protestant Christian churches around the world.
While King Henry VIII left the RCC so that he could get a divorce, Luther’s goal was to teach everyone what the Bible truly says about salvation and God’s grace. Salvation cannot be earned… it cannot be bought… it is a free gift… a gift from God that is available to everyone through faith alone in Jesus Christ. Grace is a free gift, too. It is God’s unconditional love and forgiveness for all creatures and creation.
The commandments of Jesus are very clear… love God… and love your neighbor as much as you love yourself. Who is your neighbor? EVERYONE! The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Galatians 5:22-23, adds his thoughts on loving our neighbors by calling these human actions “the fruits of the Spirit,” love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. These fruits help us build healthy relationships with everyone.
In this time of political unrest, I can’t help but wonder: “What happened to Grace?” It seems that many “Christians” have forgotten about grace. The hateful rhetoric that has filled social media and the news… words out of the mouths of professed Christians and Christian leaders… are heartbreaking. Have they forgotten how Jesus lived… thus teaching us, His followers, how to live our lives? Have we forgotten that Jesus calls us to love and pray for everyone… including our “enemies”? Grace is unconditional love and forgiveness. Unconditional is the key word. We practice grace because God gives us abundant grace. We love everyone because God loves us first.
I have also heard in the media about “sinful” acts. The true definition of sin is a “broken relationship with God.” Our faith in Jesus Christ mends this broken relationship. It frees us to make mistakes and know that we are forgiven. More importantly, it frees us to love and care for others because we know our salvation is secure. This is why grace is such a beautiful gift… God loves us and forgives us despite our sinful natures. Therefore, it is not our place to judge our neighbors, calling some of their “sins” worse than others. We all “sin” every day… every minute of every day!” Remember… people can point fingers at our “sinful” ways, too. Perhaps judging others is everyone’s greatest “sin!”
So, my prayer is that no matter who our government leaders will be for the next 4 years, that we will come together with love and forgiveness… with Grace… and work together for the benefit of everyone… and for the benefit of all creation. Perhaps we need to heed this old but wise saying: “United we stand… divided we fall.” “A similar phrase also appears in the biblical “New Testament” – translated into English from the historic Greek in Mark 3:25 as “And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand”. Similar verses of the Christian Bible include Matthew 12:25 (“And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand”) and Luke 11:17 (“But he, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth.”)” (Christian Bible references (Wikipedia))
Grace means loving our neighbors unconditionally, as Jesus taught with this parable: Matthew 25:34-40 New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition, 34 Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world,35 for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food or thirsty and gave you something to drink? 38 And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you or naked and gave you clothing? 39 And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ 40 And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did it to me.’
May we all remember that Grace is God’s unlimited love in action. Now it’s our turn to share God’s Grace with everyone!
Grace Notes 