From the Vault: Faith Over Fear
God is the Artist who Paints the World with ❤️Love
Biology Behind My Belief
My grandmother and mother anchored me in the love of God. Granny was a hardcore, Southern Baptist. My mom remains is a longtime, committed member of the African Methodist Episcopalian (AME) Church. My parents wanted me to have a Christian education. They started me out in a Catholic School at Holy Angels Cathedral, because we lived in Gary, Indiana. If you live outside the US, back in the 1960’s, that city arguable was the site of one of the poorest public school systems in the nation. Regardless, my natural inquisitiveness and was neither appreciated or tolerated. Suffice it to say, my upbringing was steeped in a diverse range of Christian disciplines.
My father, who was nondenominational, urged me to think for myself. He was a monotheist, who believed one God was the sole source of the energy of love that connected all people. We won’t even go into his disdain for the dogma associated with religion.
Dad stood firm in what he knew to be true. He was not afraid to question lies wrapped around “the word” when he encountered them. Regardless of if the person articulating those mistruths was a pastor or a parishoner.
Today, I believe as he did. “God is everywhere the energy of love is present.” Love ❤️is the enduring truth. It serves as the definitive litmus test. In it’s absence is every incarnation of evil imaginable.
That train of thought, initially made no sense to me as a child. It didn’t take hold until adulthood. Witnessing the actions of far too many ‘church folk’ who justify the hateful words and actions behind the banner of the bible, left me exasperated. I grew tired of fleeing to a pew to process pain when “the word” was weaponized to justify things Jesus would never do.
Much to my mother’s chagrin, my current status is unchurched. Yet, I keep God in my mind and heart at all times. The knowledge that God can only be love, keeps my internal compass correctly calibrated.
Hence the motivation for this post. Each creative feature incorporates a mix of biblical quotes accented by clip art. They showcase bible passages that have has anchored me, in the midst of a myriad of life’s storms.
“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet 👣 and a light unto my path.” Psalms 119:105
“For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end.” Psalms 48:14
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12: 2
“Ask and it shall be given you: seek, and ye shall find: knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” Matthew 7:7
“Look, I am with you, and I will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” Genesis 28:15–17
“Wisdom will save you from evil people, from those whose words are twisted.” Proverbs 2:12
“We use God’s mighty weapons, not world weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments.” Corinthinan 10:4
“The Lord is slow to anger and filled with unfailing love, forgiving every kind of sin and rebellion. But he does not excuse the guilty. He lays the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected — even children in the third and fourth generations.” Numbers 14:18
“Create in me a clean heart, Oh God, and renew a right spirit within me.” Psalms 51:10
“If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” John 15:7
“Remember the Lord in everything you do, and he will show you the right way.” Proverbs 3:6
“O Lord, thou art my God; I will exhalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.” Isiah 25:1
“God is within her, she will not fail: God will help her at the break of day.” Psalms 46:5
“So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” Isiah 55:11
“If God is all you have. You have all you need.” Psalms 46:10
“I am leaving you with a gift… peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” John 14:27
“The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.” Exodus 14:14
“For the eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous, and his ears attend to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” 1 Peter 3:12
Thought To Takeaway
You can preach a better sermon with your life than you can with your lips.
Praying that you find joy and the strength to consistently make good choices when faced with bad situations.
My belief is that God is an artist. God is the universal source of the energy of love. God created all that’s has been, is now and has been and ever will be. Everything emantes from God. We all share a bond that is unbreakable.
