The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus were the ultimate expression of the truth that God does the work of redemption as a pure and unqualified gift. All that’s left for us to do is try to believe that broken and imperfect lives like ours could be included in that perfect love and then live out of the gratitude that results.
What do we believe in these days? And what do you and I not believe? This is not just a philosophical exercise, and it’s not just for mindless recitation. What we believe and don’t believe will ground us and reshape our lives.
The purpose of the Church, then … the purpose of Calvary in Memphis … is to be the kind of community in which people begin to see themselves as desired by God. A place where we see ourselves as occasions for divine joy.
Where does God live?
If the Church is somehow still of use to lives like yours and like mine, surely it must be as a place where whatever we’re afraid of doesn’t send us away from each other or set us at odds but breaks us open to the God-given humanity we all share.