How great is our God?

Last week, while I was in Virginia, I found myself arguing with the radio.  A radio evangelist was explaining why everything was Eve's fault.  "She was weaker than Adam.  God created her to be weaker, to submit to Adam.  God created Adam to be her protector."  He continued his rant about Eve, making fun of her for even talking to the snake.   About this time I wanted to jump through the radio.  "What about Adam?  If he was her protector, he had ONE THING TO DO!  Protect her from ONE THING!  Where was he when the talking snake sidled up?  Then, when caught, he blamed everything on Eve! How is all the sin in the world her fault???"  

That's when it dawned on me that the radio and I were missing the key message.  The same is true about the debate about how the universe was created, particularly when the creationists declare the big bangers are going straight to hell and the big bangers respond by declaring the creationists morons.  I think they are missing the key message.   We limit Him to a binary choice.  Either 6 days plus a day of rest or KA-BOOM!  I imagine the way He actually created the universe is so elegant, so beautiful, so ... that our tiny minds couldn't begin to comprehend it.  

We spend so much time trying to stuff God into little us-shaped boxes.   It seems the more people argue the smaller God gets.  We are missing the key message.

Here in Honduras, I find our Lord gets bigger by the day.   I am humbled day by day, hour by hour by the magnificence of our God.  My Honduran friends, young and old, tutor me, show me, remind me how great our God is.  Today was yet another example.   During church today, Rosalina, one of the Tias at the Children's Home, learned her nephew (whom she raised as her son) was murdered.  A nice, hard working young man, with two friends, set upon by thieves.  Murdered for shoes, clothes, and maybe a cell phone.  A mother's greatest fear, her worst nightmare.  We were in shock as Milton led her away weeping.  

This afternoon, Suzy was with her at her home.  Several of the staff were already there.  Rosa took Suzy aside and said, "As soon as everyone arrives for the wake, I am going to tell them about Jesus.  I want his friends to hear about Jesus.  They need to hear about Jesus."  How great is Rosa's God?  In a matter of 2 or 3 hours, still mourning she moves beyond the moment.  She is compelled to share the love of Jesus in the midst of this horrific tragedy.   Compelled to tell everyone about her great God, who walks each step with us, weeps with us, lifts us up, surrounds us with His love. 

Yes, this is the key message.  It isn't whose fault it is.  It isn't a science lesson about the universe.  It isn't your doctrine or mine.  Paul explained it to the Romans:

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Romans 8:38-39

Nothing will separate us from the love of God.  How great is that?

How great is our God - sing with me

How great is our God - and all will see

How great, how great is our God