Scripture: Genesis 22:1-14 It is a terrible story. Listen, if you were going to try and get someone, anyone to believe in God as we know God, a God of love and mercy, a God who offers grace through the sacrifice of himself, a God who is real and at work in our lives, you would not lead off with this story. You would naturally tell the story of the Cross, the resurrection, the birth of the Church, but not a story where at first read God comes off as a cruel and sadistic. Although there are those who enjoy a God who is just that, it is not the way to win hearts and minds, and certainly not what Jesus teaches about God. Although, not everything Jesus taught is meant to give us the warm and fuzzies. Again there are those that would also be completely happy with the warm and fuzzy God. Here what Jesus says in the Lectionary’s Gospel text for today from Matthew 10:37-42. “37Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter ...
There is joy in this journey we call life. Sometimes it may be hard to find, but if we look hard, it is there. We can not let the storms of life steal the joy of life.