O Foolish Galatians!

I had ninety percent decided not to write anything about the hoo-hah hullaballoo that went on about the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics, but here I am unable to keep quiet!

I don’t have television, thankfully, so I catch up with all that is going on via Instagram and YouTube – where my settings are for my preferences. This way I cut out a lot of junk. The first pictures began filtering through of the ceremony: the Eswatini team looking excited and gorgeous in their boat; Snoop Dog singing a song that had lyrics I thought unsuitable for the audience, so I skipped over it; lights and flags; what looked like the silhouette of a horse being ridden down the Seine (I’m a horse person so I enjoyed that, saw nothing sinister in it); Lady Gaga, too feathery for me; Celine Dion – amazing. What a comeback, a tribute to the strength of the human spirit and so in keeping with the ethos of the Olympics. The highlight for me was the lighting of the flame – that amazing hot air balloon glowing goldenly against the night sky, Rapha Nadal looking suave and humbly proud if such exists.

I turn my mobile off at night and only switch on when I am ready to face the world in the morning. And what a world I faced on Monday: “God will not be mocked!”, the predominant headline, shrieked at me from various Christian singers and groups, shared over and again, mainly on Facebook. I groaned and thought, “Oh no, here we go again!”

There were messages coming in asking me what I thought of this, or that, how dreadful, etc, etc, et-boring-cetera.

After prayerful thought, study of the various reports, and research into the Word, here is my understanding of what scripture informs in this context.

John 3: 18 and 19. Jesus is talking to Nicodemus, a senior pharisee:

He who believes in Him is not condemned, but he who does not believe is condemned, already because he has not believed in the Name of the only begotten Son of God.

19. And this is the condemnation, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

These people are already condemned, is it our place to further condemn them? I think not. I believe that is God’s prerogative and we should leave it in His hands.

Which brings me to the portion of the verse stated repetitively in Paul’s epistle to the Galatians, taken totally out of context. Ideally one should read the entire letter, which is addressed to members of a church who have gone astray and have begun following a false ideology.

In Chapter 3 v1, Paul cries out:

O foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth?

Again in Chapter 4 v 7:

You ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?

8. This persuasion does not come from Him who calls you.

And then to the verse in question, Chapter 6, but beginning from verse 3 to get the full context:

For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.

4. but let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another,

5. for each will bear his own load.

6. let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches.

7. do not be deceived, God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.

This entire book, and this portion in particular, refers very clearly to believers, who are behaving in a manner contrary to the teachings of Christ, and leading others astray, it is not directed at those outside the church.

Do you seriously think the God of Heaven, Yahweh, is concerned at the antics of a few misguided people on planet earth? Has He not been dealing with us for several thousands of years?

I am put in mind of the story of John and James in Luke 9:52b-56:

And as they went, they entered a village of Samaria to prepare for Him.

53. But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem.

54. And when His disciples, James and John, saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?”

55. But He turned and rebuked them, and said, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of.

56. For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.” And they went to another village.

The arrogance of thinking we can call God’s judgement down on people we disapprove of! In Mathew 7: 1-2 Jesus warns:

Judge not, that you be not judged.

2. for with what judgement you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.

My final scripture with regard to this misunderstanding of scripture, of our place in God’s Kingdom, is from the prophet Hosea 4:6:

My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.

Ouch! Remember, according to Peter, we are a royal priesthood, so this is not referring to the guy at the front, but to each one of us.

I wonder how the world might change, if, instead of the remorseless invective against “sinners”, we tried to love those that are possibly trapped in alternative lifestyles as Jesus loves us. I wonder if they used the depiction of The Last Supper setting because of a deep subliminal need in their hearts to be close to God, to experience His love. Let’s face it, the people portraying that scenario are generally rejected and scorned, and the more they are, the more they look for attention, rather like children in need of love. Heavenly love, sacrificial love, I died for you, Jesus kind of love.

Who are we, if we profess to be followers of the One who gave His all for us, to harshly judge them, reject them, call down fire from heaven on them?

I saw one post that claimed Paris was plunged into darkness after the ceremony, the intimation being God’s displeasure being displayed. Really? God turned out the lights in a major European city because a few transvestites played out a historical drama in a setting similar to the one portrayed in Leonardo da Vinci’s painting of The Last Supper? Let us remember that – it is a painting, not the real deal.

If I were a member of this band hecklers, I would be far more concerned that this verse of warning applies to me. After all, many claim a man they support, a convicted fraudster, a rape accused, a close friend of a late paedophile, is a Christian who should be supported fully, even using violence to further their ends.

But let me stop here and simply say this: my Jesus, the One I follow, loves all humanity. Ezekiel 33 v 11:

Say to them: ‘As I live, says the Lord God, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel’

Our God cannot approve of sin, so He made a way for the blemish of our sin to be removed, allowing us free and unfettered access to Himself, through the death and resurrection of His son, Jesus Christ. He hates the sin that ensnares us, but He loves us, the sinners. There is a difference. We would do well to heed it.