Today’s scripture: John 3:16 (NRSV) (The Message) (KJV) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (Don Clark):
I had just spoken to a group of students in Mexico City in Spanish! One of the youth came up to me and said, “Thanks, but, you know, every missionary who comes here preaches from that same verse. We’ve heard that one.” Bubble buster! Of course, it’s the most familiar of all scriptures, alongside the Lord’s Prayer, the 23rd Psalm, and the Ten Commandments. It can be seen on banners in many sporting venues as well! Most of us memorized it when we were little kids and can still recite it today. It encapsulates the gospel in a few words.
I am amazed at how my perception of this verse has evolved throughout my life. It starts as a memory verse, then becomes an “article of faith” or a mini-creed, then it becomes an all too common and quickly passed over verse as we grow into adulthood.
But then . . . in the midst of living life, both good and bad, it becomes an anchor helping us withstand the tests of time. And for me, and this is really important, it expands my horizons and forces me to draw my circle of inclusion even wider by the day.
Try this. Repeat the verse (and verse 17 too!) over and over again, but accentuate a different word each time you say it. “God . . . so . . . loved . . . the world . . . he gave . . . etc.” Now, before long you just might begin to understand what I am trying to share in this short devotional. God so loved the world (“He’s got the whole world in his hands”) that God gave . . . whosoever . . . means anyone and everyone . . . the whole world, not just a select few; and we don’t get to choose who God loves. “All means all,” said the preacher. This verse invites us to widen our circle to include those we might not understand or even like. God excludes no one. And neither should we.
Prayer for the day: God of the whole world, help me to embrace all your people and encircle them with your love as part of the reconciliation and redemption that came through your beloved Son, Jesus Christ.
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the suggestions on the How to Pray page.