This morning I watched a little red squirrel crawl up a tree and out onto our suet feeder. Much to his delight it popped open and the suet cake fell out onto the ground. I’m sure I heard him say, “Yippee.” Down the tree he scampered and proceeded to drag it away. It was larger than he but that didn’t matter – all the more for him!
He reminded me of groups of people who try to hog up heaven just for themselves. The rest of us are excluded because we are different. We don’t dress the same as they. We don’t eat the same foods as they. We have a different theological idea than they. Somehow a form of reasoning took over that said salvation is the fruit of conformity and mental lockstep instead of abundant grace. It became salvation by knowledge. It is forgotten that Revelation 7:9 says when describing the redeemed, “After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb.”
So I went outside and changed the scenario. I put the suet cake back in its holder. Once again it was for everyone. Graciously I did not exclude the little red squirrel because of his behavior. He still has access. It felt good to do so. It was the one Jesus-like thing I was able to do today. As I walked back into the house through the snow (Yes, snow in April.) I thought, “How grand that God’s love isn’t just for my group. If it was, instead of being Christ-like, we would be spiritual snobs.”
Written by Roger Bothwell on April 5,2016
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