Pastor Kerry preached a sermon about Love this morning…and it was lovely. MJ and Jonathon and I were back in our physical Church Building and it felt very good to be there. There is something about fellowshipping with your fellow parishioners that can not be replicated on Zoom. When you see…in the flesh…your fellow congregants…you know and understand that you are not in this walk of life…alone. Others are facing the challenges of the Christian Walk and being members of our mutual Human Family…on Earth.

Love is a deep well that we have yet to discover its’ bottom. When a couple stays together for years and years…it may not be immediately apparent to observers in the cheap seats…but they are witnessing love… The term ‘Tough Love’ was often bandied about in our last Century. Tough Love was supposed to represent bringing a person to tasks to admit their mistakes and to seek the help that they need for their problems. I have seen Tough Love misused much more often than I have seen it done correctly. Fundamentalist folks often engage in what they call Tough Love…which is a political/religious amalgamation of their ‘John Wayne Theology’ and which takes advantage of hurting people at their most vulnerable times.

Jesus did drive the money changers out of the temple…but he also was a friend to the woman who was caught in the act of adultery… and he then knelt down and began to write in the sand and slowly all of the faithful hurlers of stones…crept away on little cats feet. He then asked the woman, ‘Woman, where are those thine accusers? Hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, neither do I condemn thee: go and sin no more.’ John 8: 10 – 11. KJV

‘Love covers a multitude of sins,’ Peter told us. Love is not essential to support someone who is able physically and mentally to work…but as the old saying goes: ‘Give a man a fish and he will eat today…teach a man to fish and he will eat for his entire life.’