“I offer my life to you, Lord. My God, I trust you… Make your ways known to me, Lord; teach me your paths… Lord, remember your compassion and faithful love –they are forever!” (selections from Psalm 25:1-6)

God’s Love is Faithful

Today was my first Sunday at Rosman and Selica United Methodist Churches. What a tough first Sunday to preach! I am sure your feeds from Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and the like  are as covered as mine about the events in Minnesota, Dallas and Baton Rouge (if we are just to name the very recent tragedies).

God’s Love is Faithful

I found myself up past midnight last night wondering what it would mean to preach Psalm 25:4 (“Make your ways known to me, Lord”) in light of all that is facing us. I struggled with the words from Psalm 25:6 that proclaim so boldly that God’s “faithful love” is forever.

God’s Love is Faithful

I wondered how I would proclaim the faithfulness of God’s love in the midst of unthinkable violence, indiscriminate malice, systemic oppression, far-reaching prejudice and seemingly so-little harmony.

God’s Love is Faithful

If ever I was preaching to myself, today was the day. I remembered another passage assigned for today. Luke 10:25-37 tells the story we often refer to as “The Good Samaritan.” I like the title from my Common English Bible that labels this passage, “Loving your neighbor.” The passage tells the story of a man who was beaten up and left for dead. How do you preach to this man that he should “offer his life to God” as the Psalmist exemplifies? How do you preach to victims of violence and hate that God’s love is faithful?

God’s Love is Faithful

The story from Luke 10 tells us about an unlikely character who comes to the aid of the nearly dead man. God’s Love was Faithful. It wasn’t how you might think it was going to show up, it wasn’t who you thought it would be, but God’s Love was faithful, the stranger became the friend.

God’s Love is Faithful

The best part (in my opinion) of the story from Luke is what makes the passage from Psalm 25 tenable. The passage ends with verse 37 saying, “Go and do likewise.”

God’s Love is Faithful

We are God’s love. I am, you are, the unsuspecting stranger can be. We trust in a God who works in and through bizarre ways (at least to our minds), and I include God working through you and me as part of that. Part of the call of Psalm 25 may be not only that we get to trust in God’s enduring love, but that we are called to be this enduring love.

God’s Love is Faithful

So wherever you find yourself during this difficult season, know that God’s love is faithful. You are this love. I am this love. Black men and women are this love. Police are this love. All lives are this love. This love that Psalm 25 says is forever. This love that goes beyond and above disagreement and discord. The key is to “go and do likewise.” We must act out this love by loving the stranger we didn’t think we could love. We must go and do.

God’s Love is Faithful

There is work to be done. Harmony and unity will not be easily found. But truly I believe in the good news that:

God’s Love is faithful.