In our Gospel of John study, I have been emphasizing the abundance, the hugeness, the overwhelming nature of God. Jesus turns somewhere between 120 and 180 gallons of water into wine (let’s party!), he tells Nicodemus that God loves the world (the Greek word is cosmos), and he even expands his ministry to the Samaritans (Jews and Samaritans did not share things in common).
In his letter to the Galatians, Paul picks up on a parallel theme. God shows no partiality. The tension is whether to accept Gentile Christians (uncircumcised) into the new Church of God.
For all you women out there, this may seem like a silly conversation. But for those of us with whom circumcision is a major issue, this conversation is very important. The conclusion that Paul reaches, and the answer that is overwhelmingly given by the Holy Spirit is that all people, regardless of the status of one’s body, have the opportunity to join the household of God.
In God, there is abundance, blindness to division, and an earth-shattering overwhelming grace offered to all.
the rev. jimmy abbott 