Who do you love?

Jesus loves the little children, and as a matter of fact, the song says that color is not a big deal in the economy of God. We know that Jesus loves old people, as well, because He makes the leaves to turn bright colors, so that the geezers can go to the mountains. He gave someone the wisdom to create Viagra, but we will stick to the mountain story. One of our founding fathers, Ben Franklin said, "Beer is living proof that God loves us, and wants us to be happy." So, God loves a lot of folk, and we as the church are called to do the same. I have decided that I am going to love everyone and that idea is pretty fun.
Growing up in church, I was taught to love folk. Our main reason for being, the church people said, was to evangelize. We are to tell others about this love, and invite them to church. This would enable them to get to know God, and to give their money, and hang out with the "Good" people. We could invite them, as long as they were like us. You know, white folk that are not poor, usually 2 parent families, liked NASCAR, football, and chicken. No "niggers" allowed, if mixed race babies came, there were whispers and prayers that the dad would never show up to worship with the white mom. If you were too poor, you were not really welcome. Alcoholics, at least those who were honest about liking to drink, please stay away. If you smoke...we will let you in...just keep some mints handy. If you could use a little soap in your crevices, it would be wise to clean yourself up before entering the sanctuary. If you were Gay...."No queers in HERE."
Somewhere along the way, the Kingdom of God became the Country Club of Conformity. If we listen closely, I think we can hear God vomit, and YELL, " So this is what I bought you for, so that you would forget where you came from, or in reality, still are. If your souls were turned inside out for the world to see, then how brazen would you be? Romans tells you the consequences of a law based faith...You ALWAYS lose!!"
What then is an adequate picture of the Kingdom of God? Frederick Buechner, my favorite author, puts it this way,

"God is the eccentric host who, when the country-club crowd all turn out to have other more important things to do than come live it up with him, goes out into the skid rows and soup kitchens and charity wards and brings home a freak show. The man with no legs who sells shoelaces at the corner. The old woman in the moth-eaten fur coat who makes her daily rounds of the garbage cans. The old wino with his pint in a brown paper bag. The pusher, the whore, the village idiot who stands at the blinker light waving his hand as the cars go by. They are all seated at the damask-laid table in the great hall. The candles are all lit and the champagne glasses filled. At a sign from the host the musicians in their gallery strike up, "Amazing Grace." If you have to explain it, don't bother." (Telling the Truth, Buechner, 1977)

I couldn't have said it better myself.