God Chat

One of the reasons I have abandoned my faith is that the following cannot happen.

Had a little chat with God yesterday and it was enlightening.  In the context of the Muslim immigration ban, the separation of children from their asylum-seeking parents, the permission granted to bakers to discriminate against LGBTQ couples, the permission granted to florists to discriminate against LGBTQ couples, and the fervent support of Trump by the religious right I figured I must have stuff all messed up.  The world seems backwards.  Seems to me Christians and Muslims should be calling for Trump’s impeachment, not defending him, much less operating in his shadow of bigotry, adultery, lies, collusion, misogyny, and emoluments.  So, I thought I would ask the boss.

OEB:    God, did you choose Trump to be our President?

GOD:  No.  I do not intervene in such things as elections, sporting events, gambling outcomes, etc.  All my children have free will and daily choose to do what is right or what is wrong.

OEB:    So, how do we know what is right?

GOD:   Follow my commandments.

OEB:    OK.  Please remind me of those.

GOD:   It would be a great start if my children followed the commandment to love me with all their heart and mind and spirit, and love their neighbors as they love themselves.

OEB:    I get the first part of that.  It is the second part I have trouble understanding.  Just who is my neighbor?

GOD:  All my children.

OEB:    So I am to love immigrants, Hispanics, Blacks, homosexuals, transgenders, Muslims, poor people, sick people, etc. as much as I love myself?

GOD:  Yep.

OEB:    Loving my neighbor as I love myself means I want the best for them, I want to help them, I want to clothe them and feed them and heal them and protect them and make their lives better.  Right?

GOD:  Right.  Serving yourself while harming others is not my work nor my commandment.  That is the work of someone else.

OEB:    Can the people who claim to love you with all their hearts but refuse to love their neighbors still call themselves your followers?

GOD:  Nope.

OEB:    Thanks, God.  You have helped me see the right things to do.