Never stand in the way of letting God use people__ actions, in order to solve a greater issue in the world.

Perhaps it is true that, by some definitions, Satan is more religious than God. Many of the particularly proud sinners are deceived into thinking that Satan is anti-religious, that he likes seeing people do immoral things simply because he likes immoral things. Doubtful; Satan likes for people to do immoral things so that he can blame them for doing immoral things. The Father of Lies laughs not with his teammates, but at them.

I often feel the pressure, from my peers and others, to come out and __ake a stand_ on a moral or social issue. Typically, I refuse to do so, or at least I refuse to do so in a way that will please my critics. On so many of the hard and divisive issues of our times, I don__ close my eyes. I do stand for something: I stand for love. For if Jesus came, not to condemn the world, but to redeem it, how can we who bear the Name respond any differently? Yes, what I believe about all these moral and social issues matters, without a doubt. But these beliefs mean nothing, if my first and consuming conviction is not love for those who are different and believe differently than me. We have a choice: We can choose to show how __ight_ we are, or we can choose to love. Sometimes, it is impossible to do both at the same time.

We preach grace, but we don__ always practice it. We talk about God__ mercy, but we don__ always want the people who need it most to know it or get in on it. We say we are in the redemption business, but the door to that redemption is often locked by us from the inside. We say, __ome in! All are welcome!_ but __ll_ is often marked with an asterisk. How, I ask, can the world change _ how can heaven come to earth _ if we stingily protest against God for his grace to others, grace we have freely received ourselves? How can we pray __hy kingdom come,_ and be resentful toward God and those he allows to enter the kingdom in his way and his timing?

What is ordinary to you maybe a desert of woeful newness to another.

When __octrinal integrity_ (a term usually defined by those using it) trumps kindness and grace, faith has wandered out of bounds. Anything claiming to be truth that does not lead to compassion for our neighbors cannot rightfully be called the truth.