I don’t think I ever said to another kid, “My father can beat up your father,” even though I surely thought he could. I thought of this because of Romans 8. Paul wrote, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” I think that pretty much means “My Father can beat up your father.”
The history of God in the Old Testament was the Hebrew God (our God) doing battle with the gods of surrounding pagan nations. In story after story Abraham’s God was in competition with Dagon, Baal or some other national deity. Elijah’s standoff on top of Mount Carmel was classic. Elijah taunted Baal’s priests. He really rubbed it in by pouring water over the altar prior to the burst of lightning. You have to hand it to Elijah. The man had faith. Things really got very bloody before the day was over. There was no doubt in Elijah’s mind. His God could beat up anybody’s god.
Today’s religious battles are very different. Christians, Jews and Muslims claim to worship the same God. God must be very disappointed with us. He is supreme. But we are not. He watches as we all claim to be His favorites. As adults we don’t argue about whose father can beat up whose. Instead we argue that we are His special ones. We usually base this on the proposition that we are righter than the others. We have more truth. We have more insight.
The last time I took inventory of my love for my two sons and six grandchildren I once again reaffirmed that each is so unique I love each of them uniquely. Not one is favored over the other. Each has a room in my heart. Didn’t Jesus say something about “in my Father’s house are many rooms?”
Written by Roger Bothwell on July 24, 2009
Spring of Life Ministry, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574
rogerbothwell.org