(Each Saturday, a faith leader offers a personal perspective in this space. To become part of this series, email religion@recorder.com)
I spent quite a bit of time thinking about the subject of this article, wondering what people most needed to hear. I considered recent headlines, the pandemic, transitioning back to “normal” and a myriad of other topics. It finally became quite clear that the one thing everyone needs hear these days is that they are loved.
With so much violence, anger and conflict in the world, it is too easy to lose sight of the fact that each of us is created in the image of God, and therefore we are good, wanted, needed and loved. There are many voices in our world today that try to tell us that we are not smart enough, not thin enough, not fast enough, not good enough, just not enough. However, Scripture tells us that God made us in God’s image. If God made us, not only are we enough, we are good.
The second thing I want everyone to hear is that you are wanted. As a beloved child of God, made in God’s image who is good, you are wanted and welcomed by God. The Scripture passage telling us about Jesus with the children paints a picture of Jesus welcoming the children for no other reason than to just be with them. In the time that Jesus lived, children were often seen as little more than a necessary nuisance. However, this is not how Jesus saw children; he insists that the children are welcomed into his presence. They were wanted and welcomed by Christ, not considered a troubling nuisance. In our world, there are all kinds of people and groups who are seen as little more than a necessary nuisance. People who look, act, speak, think and believe differently. Yet, each of these people and groups and each one of us are wanted and welcomed by God.
I remember learning in Sunday School that God is love. I also remember learning that “love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.”
Together, this means that God is patient. Even when I am still learning. Even when I have forgotten. Even when I stumble or falter. God is kind. Even when I am grumpy. Even when I am so wracked with pain that I cannot be kind myself. Even when I am in too much of a hurry or distracted. God is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. Even when I am certain that my way is the right or best way; God does not insist on God’s own way. God is not irritable; even on days when I get up on the wrong side of the bed or other people are getting under my skin. God is not resentful; even when everyone around me seems to have everything they want, and my life seems to be a mess. God does not rejoice in wrongdoing but rejoices in the truth; even when truth-telling is so difficult and painful. God bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. God’s love never ends.
As a beloved child of God, made in God’s image you are good, you are wanted and needed and most importantly, you are loved.
The Central Congregational Church of Orange, a member of the United Church of Christ (UCC), is located at 93 South Main St. We currently offer three opportunities for worship. The first is a video worship service posted at 10:15 a.m. on YouTube, our church website CentralChurchOrange.com or on our church Facebook page. We offer a drive-in style worship at 9:15 a.m. in the church parking lot and a 10:15 a.m. service in our sanctuary (masks are required). Join us for discussion in our “Facebook Fellowship,” where we have a question of the day. For more information, please call 978-544-6895, email Revmegan@aol.com and be sure to like us on Facebook.