brian shivers

I was once told that Jesus saves  and somehow that was supposed to make everything alright.  I was once asked, “Are you right with God?”  and “Have you asked Jesus into your heart?”  as if those were God’s primary and only concerns. I was once shouted at “You better get right or get left,”  and I was left afraid of this God  whose love would punish me  for not saying the right words  or for not confessing the right sins  or for thinking the wrong thoughts. What I didn’t realize then  is that this language isn’t the language of the divine.  The language of God is  love, no matter what; acceptance, no matter who;  grace, no matter where;  mercy, no matter when. The language of God  is the call of original blessing, not eternal curse.  The salvation that God enacts  is a salvation for something,  not just salvation from something,  and is for all of creation, for all things,  not just for me and those like me. We are invited, all of us, each and every one,  to join in this beautiful work