I
just finished reading Mick Mooney’s novel, Snap. I highlighted large amounts of text from the novel
because I resonated so much with the perspective on the subject matter. The novel is a great
read for anyone who is starting to question and/or longing for release from
mainstream organized religion/church/Christianity/indoctrination, and even
hell.
This month, Mick will be
releasing his sequel novel to Snap
titled An Outsider’s Guide to the Gospel. Last night, as I
drew near the end of the novel, I had to write down these important words from
it:
“If we waited for people to deserve our love, we’d never love a soul. Better to follow God’s way of love, better to love even when people don’t deserve it, because it is love that heals the hearts around us. It’s love that brings people back to God.”
“If we waited for people to deserve our love, we’d never love a soul. Better to follow God’s way of love, better to love even when people don’t deserve it, because it is love that heals the hearts around us. It’s love that brings people back to God.”
Real and true unfailing love is not merely
loving others when it’s convenient and they are being loveable, but also loving
them when they are being unlovable.
Human instinct tells us to flee from pain; it
tells us to preserve and protect self. When we are emotionally hurt,
we want to immediately put up protection from that hurt or to strike back in
retaliation. Our minds constantly rationalize that if we don’t love or give of
ourselves to the ones who reject or attack us or if we retaliate in return, they can no longer have the
power to hurt us. But in those actions, what emotions or responses are we fueling in others? In such actions, what domino effect are we being a part of in the future lives of others and ourselves?
(Don't get me wrong, I believe there are times when it is imperative that we flee to preserve our well being and we should flee, but those times are not what I'm referring to here.)
God has repeatedly reminded me that He has loved me at every moment
of my life. At my worst, He loved me anyway. When I turned the
cheek away from Him and did not love Him back, He loved me anyway. When I
did horrible things, He loved me in spite of those things. He has
forgiven me so very much, much more than I have ever had to forgive of anyone
who has wronged me. His arms always remain open wide for me, for
everyone.
I can only trust Him to unceasingly pour His love through
me and unto others and to teach me the way of His love. I can only do
this one moment at a time, as I continue to seek His love to
fulfill all my needs. If I'm not entering into His way love and accepting it for myself, how can I possibly offer it to others?
One thing is for certain, superexceeding grace
and unconditional love must walk hand in hand.
“If we waited for
people to deserve our love, we’d never love a soul. Better to follow God’s way of love, better to
love even when people don’t deserve it, because it is love that heals the
hearts around us. It’s love that brings
people back to God.”
(Ted in Snap novel by Mick Mooney)
Related posts and other websites:
SNAP is only available as an electronic download through Amazon
You
can check out some of Mick Mooney's excerpts from An Outsider's Guide to the Gospel at his website or at
his Facebook page
This Naked Pastor (David Hayward) post goes well along with the subject matter of SNAP, what Jesus has to say about spiritual but not religious
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