John records Jesus saying to his disciples that 'all been given eternal life 'by God. This is a bold statement as it is very dynamic and inclusive. This notion that God is for all his powerful. Jesus was speaking at a time and within a culture the thought that every city had its own God and the idea of a God beyond the border of the city let alone a nation was radical in the extreme. Jesus was calling out the disciples to live out the Beatitudes which are the commandments of Jesus.
Jesus is calling us to embrace others to restore relationships, to love all. It appears to be God's will for all people. Jesus also intimates of the Holy Spirit is a gift of God for all people as a protector and a source of empowerment to live in hope and to do good
What is our application of this knowledge in our century and especially in this time in the year 2020 as we suffer with the virus. Is all too common that people want to "other" people who are different than themselves and to find scapegoats. Emotionally, it is a difficult time for all of us as we deal with the pandemic. However following Jesus teaching, we are not called to point fingers and judging other people. People of other races especially Asian Canadians deserve our support during this most difficult time. For many people who want to find fault and have someone identified as a scapegoat in order to feel emotionally well-ourselves. This is not a good practice for stable Christian community. As progressive Christians we are called to encourage inclusiveness, hope, love, and restoration. We are supported by the Holy Spirit to have the courage to live up, to speak up and act in accordance with these expectations that we have on ourselves as members of the body of Christ. May God bless us all as we journey.
