More Loving than God?

I tend to think I’m a pretty loving guy. I tend to see myself as compassionate, caring, and kind. I tend to view myself as accepting of differences, seeking the best in people, and defending those who are oppressed. I tend to understand myself as interest in justice, in equity, in working to meet the needs of all persons. I tend to consider I’m a rather good guy. On the other hand, I don’t believe I measure up to the character of God as presented in Christ Jesus. I’m pretty sure I have a lot of room for growth, for better understanding, for recognizing injustice within my own life and attitudes.

Yeah, so I’m not perfect. The love and grace of God have not yet taken over my life and completely eradicated selfishness, pettiness, and unloving attitudes toward others. God’s still working on me and leading me toward what John Wesley called Scriptural holiness.

I don’t know anyone who would consider me perfect. Well, there is a part of me that wants people to think of me that way, but I know better, and so do you. That said, there is no way anyone could or should think of me as more loving than Christ Jesus. There is no way that anyone should think I am more willing to offer grace, mercy, and compassion than God. There is no way anyone should believe I am better than God at loving my neighbor--well, not unless they actually think less of God than I do and what I have found in Jesus.

It would be heresy according to any standard definitions of Christian doctrine and theology to think that a human being would or could be more upright, just, loving, and kind than God—and that’s the problem. Listening to some people wax eloquent about their Christian faith, they make claims that sound like elevating human beings above the moral character of God.

What do I mean? Well, I’ve had a lot of conversations this month about the LGBTQ+ community and Pride. Some have commented that while I might love my queer friends and want to accept them, God holds them at arm’s length due to what these people name as sin. “God has standards,” they say. According to them, that means there are people God will not accept, even if I can find grace, love, mercy, and compassion for them. That’s akin to saying that I am more loving than God. It’s like saying I am over-rating the reach of grace. I am taking grace too far afield. It's like with Paul saying, “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us,” he did not mean that God was willing to welcome certain communities into that love. When I read Paul telling Timothy that it is God’s will that all persons should come to redemption and reconciliation, they say I am not recognizing the power of sin or that God cannot accept certain people, because of their sinfulness.

See, I’ve never met anyone who was not sinful. I’ve never met anyone who was perfect. I’ve never met anyone who needed to justify themselves in order to deserve love, grace, and compassion. After all, that is what grace actually means. God sets aside the unworthiness of our actions, thoughts, and attitudes to call us in love to redemption and reconciliation.

“Oh, but God does not condone sin!” Well, alright. I don’t either. Meanwhile, I still love, accept, and care for all kinds of people and categories of sinners. Jesus rather much did, too.

Jesus said nothing to Nicodemus about his sin and need for repentance. Jesus said nothing to the Samaritan woman at the well that could be interpreted as calling her out on her sin. Jesus did not reference sin when healing the paralyzed man in John 5. He only mentioned sin in passing at a later encounter. When Jesus fed the crowds, he made no distinction between the deserving and undeserving, the worthy and unworthy. He said nothing about sin. He just ordered the disciples to feed them. Then he took over the task when they balked. He made no mention of sin when he called his disciples, yet he told them directly that one of then was an adversary of God. Jesus did not even make any issue of the sin of the woman caught in adultery and thrown at his feet. Without her asking for forgiveness or displaying any repentance, Jesus protected her from those who wished her harm. Then he told her that he did not condemn her. It was only then that he told her to go and sin no more.

How can calling out the sins of others be so important to followers of Jesus, when he barely spoke of sin in his conversations with people? If I don’t make a message of condemnation for sin front and center in my preaching and conversations, that is rather consistent with Jesus as recorded in the Gospel of John, to say nothing of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. My grace does not exceed that of Jesus. My welcome and affirmation of others does not exceed that of Jesus. My willingness to minister to the needs of people regardless of sin does not exceed that of Jesus.

No, Jesus actually sets a higher standard of love, grace, compassion, and mercy. If I happen to look too loving to you, you might want to go back and assess what you think of God’s character. If I happen to seem too liberal with grace, maybe you need a fresh look at the depths of grace we find in Christ Jesus. If I am not quick enough to condemn people, perhaps you might reread the gospels with attention on how Jesus regarded the condemnable people who were all around him, all the time. Remember how often he redirected the disciples for missing the point of his words? He still claimed them and encouraged them to continue following him. He went so far as to forgive Peter for sin Peter had not yet committed, much less repented or sought forgiveness for. He gave him a mission to complete on the other side of that experience.

No, I am not too liberal with love, grace, mercy, or compassion. If you think I am, I would suggest that your portrait of God is way too stingy with love, grace, mercy, and compassion. I don’t find such a god worthy of my respect, reverence, or service. I would not want to spend eternity in such a being’s presence. It sounds too much like so many descriptions of hell.

“My God is greater; my God is stronger; my God is higher than any other,” as the song goes. How great is your God? If God is not compelling you to greater love, grace, mercy, and compassion, what’s the point of your faith?  Jesus called us to love one another, then he set a high bar of giving his life on behalf of those who were living in opposition to him. I haven't reached that bar, as of yet. I can't love people more than God does. I'm not even close.

— ©Copyright 2023, Christopher B. Harbin 

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