There is a refrain in a song by a “Christian” artist named Sarah Groves. This refrain notes: “I don’t know that there are harps in heaven or the process for earning your wings. I don’t know of bright lights at the ends of tunnels, or any of those things. But I know to be absent from this body is to be present with the Lord. And from what I know of Him, that must be very good …”

This note is just another knot in the string of letters to the editor, ostensibly starting with someone named Sophie, then Jordan, then Sara (“Don’t judge others who have good morals, too.” Sept. 30), and now me. However, as Sara notes, the commentary has actually been active for thousands of years, so this will be of little matter in the grander scheme of things — if indeed there is one.

I can’t speak for anyone else and their beliefs. I only know that I would think of myself as pretty conservative in my Christian beliefs. How I got here is a very layered story and of not much matter here. All I know is that Jesus Christ made quite an impression in the world — just check your calendar. He had the audacity to claim deity. He asked the question “Who do you say that I am?” (Matthew 16:16). For anyone who even remotely has wondered about Christianity, this is the question that comes to each individual to answer. C.S. Lewis offers three responses in his book “Mere Christianity:” liar, lunatic or Lord. Of all of the religious world views, this one seems most credible — even as it seems incredible. If I understand this faith, even rather vaguely, I have to claim that I have no entitlement to judgment of others. I have to consider myself first in line as being found lacking, judged and condemned. This judgment has nothing to do with being a good person or knowing right from wrong. There are many strongly moral people, engaged in very significant endeavors of love for humankind, who would not claim a religious identity. A Christian really has no moral high ground over anyone. The only judgments a Christian should offer is that which is already made and found in scripture. Even that has to be offered in the context of grace and our finite capacity to understand and apply such judgments accurately.

Sara fairly reacts to “judgmental” Christians. I weep over this sad testimony to a faith that should overflow with love for our neighbors. However, her broad, sweeping judgment of “Christians” who oppose certain life choices as indicating a lack of love seems to also be a gross judgment. A Christian may find him- or herself in a position of opposing things that he or she would just as soon support and, or participate in, but finds a religious constraint. With many of these social issues loving Christians have tried every which way to make it be different in scripture, but ultimately cannot. To label a Christian “judgmental” because they must remain faithful to their understanding of what their faith calls them to is quite unfair. To voice the judgment to which they, too, are bound is not judgmental in and of itself. Sara notes that “God is supposed to love everyone.” That seems consistent with my own understanding: If that love calls people of all times, cultures and societies to a certain standard of life, then we should receive it as love. If Christ is part of that love, then we really need to figure out what that love is about and apply it generously.

Ed Ruppert

Resident

Ames