"love your neighbor" Tagged Touchpoints

"love your neighbor" Tagged Touchpoints

Touchpoint: The new commandment; watercolor image of dancers with arms raised, praising Jesus

Glory, Glorify, Glorified

“I don’t know about you, but I understand the scripture “Christ in me the hope of glory” better now. For me, it means Christ is in me and you, that we may manifest the power and peace of God.”
Touchpoint: What should we do? Watercolor painting of John the Baptist looking at brood of vipers

The Good Bad News

“Am I more disturbed that John’s words predict a God of love cutting fruitless trees down and burning them then the suffering of those around me? What weighs heavier on me, the threat to my theology concerning John’s image of a punishing God, or those mentioned who are cold and hungry?”
Touchpoint: The Widow's Offering; watercolor image of tree with deep roots

Love Economy

Grace and peace to you from the Mystery in whom we live and move, and have our being. The widow’s offering. “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. For all of them have contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.” Mark 12:38-44 The Widow’s Offering “It is a strange and lovely thing…
Touchpoint: Jesus Walks on Water; watercolor painting by Jay Bryant Ward of Jesus walking on turbulent water

You cruise, You Lose

“Maybe the sardines and bread were a way for Jesus to teach the disciples about love through service; teaching hospitality to the goal oriented. While others traveled to the Passover place, Jesus welcomed the holiness of the journey. Perhaps the fish and bread was communion with strangers. I’m not sure, I just know olives would have been a bit more kind. But there I go again wanting to get to the other side of discomfort.”
Touchpoint "Good Shepherd"; watercolor painting by Steve Henderson of Native American watching his sheep near the Grand Canyon

All in the Game, or the Name?

“’In the name of Jesus’ to me means, In the name of the one who wears the wounds of our lives on his back. It is not magical, but it is mystical. In the name of the one whose reputation was of loving indiscriminately. In the name of the one who found a way out of no way, even through doubt and confusion. In the name of the one who has more power than any therapist suggesting I sit beside still waters. Rather, “In the name of” refers to the one who makes me lie down, in the revelation of Gods compassion, beside still waters. Even more, who is calm waters, and whose spirit restores my soul.”

Jesus at the Waffle House

“I don’t believe that God works in mysterious ways. I believe, our mysterious God works in familiar ways; we just need to open our eyes. That’s what it means to experience the second coming of Christ. For me, it is to be able to see Christ in others. Christ in this moment, where matter and spiritual connect. For me, it’s not what we believe about the future that matters, it’s how we experience the Second Coming of Christ breaking through.”
Touchpoint: The Greatest Commandment; image is graphic design of the words "Love God & Love Others."

The G.O.A.T.

“All the laws hang on these two commandments and those commandments defer to the real, genuine greatest of all time. I don’t know about you, but I’m getting goat bumps! What if all our efforts to legislate law in our personal lives and communal lives needed to be filtered by these two commandments? What would be different?”
Touchpoint: Seventy Times Seven; image of two people clasping hands

Perfect Love Casts Out Fear

“To forgive one’s self opens us to the possibility of forgiving another. But to forgive another is not to dispense mercy or justice, for only God has that authority. But it is God who is opening us up to grace and mercy, when we are completely unable. We are merely opening ourselves up to what God can do when we can’t.”