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St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Birmingham, AL is a welcoming and affirming congregation of diverse Christians who are committed to Jesus' command to love and care for our neighbors, whoever they may be. You'll find posts on this blog by our Rector, and also by our parishioners. During the season of Lent, there will be daily meditations on the readings. At other seasons of the year, there will be sporadic postings. Thanks for reading!

Saturday, March 13, 2021

God’s Pure Love

Hosea 6:1-6
Luke 18:9-14
Psalm 51:15-20

After reading the lectionary for today, a theme made itself known. He who thinks himself whole is broken and he who acknowledges himself as broken can be made whole through Christ.


The only gifts on earth worthy to give God are pure Love and our Life, lived as the hands and feet of Christ. For those are the two most precious gifts that God gave us.


We are all God’s children. First, God created His Garden of Eden planet. Then, He created inhabitants to rejoice in His land, water, and sky. Last, God created stewards for His creation... humans. 


Who is a steward? He, who tenderly cares for and cultivates the life God infused into His creations’ cells and tissues, is living his true purpose as a steward. It is God’s spirit that courses through all of His creation, and I do mean ‘all.’ If you held a jar of God’s physical entity, wouldn’t you care for it the best possible way? Each living being on land, sky, and water is God’s entity. 


Humans, the last of God’s creation, are the only life forms that have lost their place in creation. We were expelled from the Garden of Eden, smote time and time again in the Old Testament, and cast out of God’s temple in the New Testament... all because we forgot our place. We did not obey and love as we love ourselves. That is our core brokenness. 


We either acknowledge it, repent, seek healing, make amends, then resume the purpose God gave us... or, we believe ourselves self-sufficient and remain broken. It’s our choice... the third precious gift God gave us. 


Amen.



Anne Mancer Westbrooke

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