It fascinates me sometimes when I hear someone say they don't believe in God, and yet find them to be loving and caring toward others. We sometimes view people who do evil and wicked things and say of them, "they have no soul". And we read this Psalm, and it fits the description of that evil person who lives only for themselves perfectly. They live their life harming and killing any who get in their path. Their moral compass is lacking. Their understanding of right and wrong is warped. But what to do about two other groups: one being believers who do evil things, and the other being nonbelievers who seem to be saints?
The first group is found everywhere, and for the most part, we are all members of this group. We sin. When the world sees us sin, they assign the label "hypocrite" to us, and their suspicion that religion is just a bunch of bull is confirmed. What they don't see is repentance and the grace that follows. Yes, this group is massive in scale. It's called the Church.
The other group is the one more intriguing. This group is comprised of people who use love as the guiding moral of their life. They say that they don't believe in God, but they love unconditionally to the point that they would lay their life down for a friend. This is the very nature of the love Jesus was teaching. Now if God is Love, as 1 John tells us, and Jesus is the manifestation of God (Love) in human form, and the Spirit is the presence of God (Love) with us now, I wonder what is their definition of God? Do they know that God is Love? Do they know that the most important commandments we profess is to love God and love each other? They follow them quite closely. Who is this God they're talking about when they say they don't believe?
Readings: Numbers 14:1-15:16; Mark 14:53-72; Psalm 53:1-6; Proverbs 11:4
