Dear People                       Whom God Loves,

February 10, 2008

Dear People Whom God Loves,

Believers/Non-Believers V
Christian Vision

We have seen that whether we believe in God or do not believe in God, we all have the potential to grow into the deeper stages of morality. We all get stuck at different depths. Some of us remain at very self-centered stages. Some of us grow into a morality that is concerned for the care and rights of more and more people. Some of us grow in concern for the care and rights of all people regardless of race, religion, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, and so on.

This is why people whose beliefs in God differ and those who do not believe in God at all can work together for peace and justice. It is good to cooperate for peace and justice with all kinds of people.

What does Christian vision have to do with all of this? Certainly, working for peace and justice is an integral part of being Christian. Religion which does not lead into deepening morality is seriously deficient. Religion is concerned about morality, but morality is not what is distinctive about being Christian. Some who profess being Christian are not very moral and some are very moral. Some who are of different faiths are not very moral and some are. Some who have no religious faith are not very moral and some are. We have to go deeper to find what Christianity is about.

We might say that Christians love more deeply. I don't think that is true either. As I look around, that doesn't seem to hold water. Certainly to the degree that we do not love, we are not living as a Christian. But love does not seem to distinguish us from those of other faiths or from those of no faith.

What then is the Christian vision? More next time.

Smile, God Loves You,
Father Clay

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