Perfect Love.

As Tolstoy said, all great ideas are simple.

My idea is this:
Fear is the problem.
Love is the answer.

Rather than creating sides by setting up value judgments on virtue and goodness, which automatically makes someone wicked or bad, we should look at the causes of bad behavior.

And this will be fear.

And because God forgives actions taken out of fear, no one is condemned, no matter how wicked they may have been.

And because we seek to act in harmony with God we should not judge people for their bad behavior but look for the causes of that behavior.

And this will be fear.

What is the antidote to fear?

Love.

"There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment , and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love."  1 John 4:18 (NRSV)

God is good.

But God does not condemn bad behavior because He knows it is caused by fear.

Neither does He condone it.

Much bad behavior is caused by people reacting to Phariseeism in the Church.

And Phariseeism in the Church is caused by fear.
Fear of God, fear of evil, fear of punishment, fear of hell.....

But there is no hell.
Hell is totally out of character with a loving God.

Rather God blesses us and leads us to Love.

He who loves is on the right track.

That track may cause us to challenge injustice in our world.

If we can see the fear which causes injustice we will forgive those who cause it and help them to overcome their fears.

There are only two things in the world: Fear and Love.

But there are not two sides.

No good man is entirely good and no bad man in entirely bad.

Fear affects everyone no matter how bad or good they might have been.

"perfect love casts out fear"  1 John 4: 18 (NRSV)

And perfect Love comes from God.


[Scripture quotations (marked NRSV) are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission.  All rights reserved.]