Day 15
Economy of Mercy….
Our old community was able to put a particularly fine edge on the doctrine of justification. We were able to articulate, in shimmering ways, the free grace of God in Christ. But we were, as the preachers of grace, stunningly unable to carry it beyond the front door. Inside the church, we switched from an economy of mercy, to an economy of “you get what you deserve”, of inevitable consequence. But if everything we believe about the gospel is true, then instead of shrinking, becoming fearful and stingy, critical and judgmental, we would instead become expansive, generous, welcoming…reckless and brave. “The need to be right kills love”. That’s what we said. Judgment may modify behavior, but it only drives our sin underground, to rise again in some other form. Only love has the power to change us. And what if our new friends are right in preaching that that really is what God is offering us: love. We always talked about God’s love, but with so much fine print that it felt so conditioned. What if? What if it really is free? What if he really did mark us in our baptisms and will “never, no never, no never forsake” us? What if this isn’t the story of our misbehavings and repentances, but the story of the Good Shepherd gathering his little wooly sheep?