This morning, I was trying to think of a modern-day analogy for the significance of Matthew being amongst the twelve disciples called by Jesus. Matthew was a tax collector for the Roman government (Boo! Hiss!) and he was a Jew (And working for "them"? Traitor! Bastard!) I tried to think of a type of person who might embody, for lack of a better term, a modern day "sell-out". Then it hit me:
A "Matthew" of today would be a Log Cabin Republican! Y'know, rich gay man in the same category with all gay people in the narrow-mindedness of the Republican Party and yet a registered Republican! Or worse, a registered rich gay Republican who is working FOR the Republican Party despite the GOP embracing of platforms and people who mean to destroy LGBT people.
Can Jesus really love a Log Cabin Republican? Can a Log Cabin Republican be part of the tapestry of followers that Jesus picked up along the way? Shouldn't Jesus just stick to the Rachel Maddow crowd? Maybe my Jesus would do that. But that would make my Jesus not so God-like, but more me-like.
That's the thing about believing in God. To believe that God is as all-knowing, and all-powerful, is to believe that God will also call and make use of all kinds of people whether we like them or not. Who better than someone from a despised bunch to call upon and point his or her nose in the direction of living into eternal life? What better way to demonstrate to us that God is capable of redeeming all, even the ones we think are jerks?
Happy St. Matthew Day!
A "Matthew" of today would be a Log Cabin Republican! Y'know, rich gay man in the same category with all gay people in the narrow-mindedness of the Republican Party and yet a registered Republican! Or worse, a registered rich gay Republican who is working FOR the Republican Party despite the GOP embracing of platforms and people who mean to destroy LGBT people.
Can Jesus really love a Log Cabin Republican? Can a Log Cabin Republican be part of the tapestry of followers that Jesus picked up along the way? Shouldn't Jesus just stick to the Rachel Maddow crowd? Maybe my Jesus would do that. But that would make my Jesus not so God-like, but more me-like.
That's the thing about believing in God. To believe that God is as all-knowing, and all-powerful, is to believe that God will also call and make use of all kinds of people whether we like them or not. Who better than someone from a despised bunch to call upon and point his or her nose in the direction of living into eternal life? What better way to demonstrate to us that God is capable of redeeming all, even the ones we think are jerks?
Happy St. Matthew Day!
1 comment:
Just read this one, must have missed it and I guess I don't even belong to the Log Cabin guys any more as I am not very rich.
Peggins
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