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32. Mercy For All
Summary: Jesus spoke about mercy for all and that got on the nerves of the religious establishment. God’s mercy is a gift for everyone. So much religion stresses who deserves it and who doesn’t, who is in and who is out. Religious fundamentalists often try to determine who God has “blessed” and who God punishes and think only what they believe is right. “Evangelism” sometimes tries to get everyone to think the same way. Do we want others to do that to us? Didn’t Jesus teach us “to do unto others what we would have them do unto us?” Religious fundamentalism is often the oil on the fires of so much conflict around the globe. Fundamentalism reduces discipleship to just believing certain things. Jesus tells us that God loves every single person regardlessof what we believe. To commit my life to Jesus is to allow Jesus to determine and shape my understanding of God. God loves to forgive everyone and have them become holy partners with God to mend this world. Jesus is explicit that we are to love our enemies because God’s mercy is so broad; God wants even our enemies to be God’s partners. To believe means to give our hearts to that expansive and inclusive mercy.