A Trusting Heart Is Forgiven

Authentic Faith Leads Us To Treat Others With Unconditional Seriousness And To A Loving Reverence For The Mystery Of The Human Personality. Authentic Christianity Should Lead To Maturity, Personality, And Reality. It Should Fashion Whole Men And Women Living Lives Of Love And Communion. False, Manhandled Religion Produces The Opposite Effect. Whenever Religion Shows Contempt Or Disregards The Rights Of Persons, Even Under The Noblest Pretexts, It Draws Us Away From Reality And God.

The Confessing Church Of American Ragamuffins Needs To Join Magdalene And Peter In Witnessing That Christianity Is Not Primarily A Moral Code But A Grace-laden Mystery; It Is Not Essentially A Philosophy Of Love But A Love Affair; It Is Not Keeping Rules With Clenched Fists But Receiving A Gift With Open Hands.

How I Treat A Brother Or Sister From Day To Day, How I React To The Sin-scarred Wino On The Street, How I Respond To Interruptions From People I Dislike, How I Deal With Normal People In Their Normal Confusion On A Normal Day May Be A Better Indication Of My Reverence For Life Than The Antiabortion Sticker On The Bumper Of My Car.

God Not Only Loves Me As I Am, But Also Knows Me As I Am. Because Of This I Don't Need To Apply Spiritual Cosmetics To Make Myself Presentable To Him. I Can Accept Ownership Of My Poverty And Powerlessness And Neediness.

Jesus Comes Not For The Super-spiritual But For The Wobbly And The Weak-kneed Who Know They Don’t Have It All Together, And Who Are Not Too Proud To Accept The Handout Of Amazing Grace.