a new path to golden arches

i had a revelation today... maybe that's over-dramatic, but it was definitely a light-bulb moment worthy of any Saturday morning cartoon...
i have always struggled with the exclusivity of christianity... the idea being summed up in John 14:6 -- "Jesus answered, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
i always viewed this as a threat, a condemnation, a blatant segregation...
how very wrong was i...
it is an invitation... an invitation to all... Jesus does not want believers to memorize scripture and regurgitate it so that we are guaranteed a spot past the pearly gates for his health...He is not about speaking words that aren't meant, being in the front row of church on sunday morning, or believing that wearing a cross necklace is a golden ticket to heaven... He wants people to believe so that they may be loved... loved by the father, known by the father, and to know the father, and love the father... so that this love be so intimate that it pours out -- rushes out -- and sweeps others off of their feet, gasping for air, dazed in its golden light, and wanting more...
and yes, to do that for eternity...
we were all made in the image of God... to know God closely will reveal purer versions of ourselves, helping to decrease the taintedness (not a word, i don't care) of this polluted world... this is what Jesus was for, so we could reach God, see him, know him, better realize his presence... God is beyond anything and everything... Jesus was human... that is something we can all relate to... which means we actually have a way to relate to God. Wow.
everyone is invited to the party... can we, as a church, reflect that? can i, as an individual, live like that? live out, reach out, act out as one who believes that Jesus is inviting everyone i meet and i'm one of the messengers?
make sure that i'm not the one that is making christianity exclusive?

bella

i realize there are many, many things to love about the world in which i live...
it's very pretty: the sky is blue, the grass is green, the leaves are just starting to turn various autumnal colors, and wind is low, the birds will sing, and we are part of everything...
i've got a roof over my head, food in the fridge, socks in my drawer, slippers under my bed, clean running water, a window in my bedroom, and oreos on my floor...
i have a quirky but fun, opinionated but loving, critical but forgiving family, who all run with a policy of keeping the door open, the wine flowing, the food on the table, the conversation and the laughter going...
and my friends are such bright lights in my life... there are so many moments where i am humbled and astounded that i am blessed with such loving, wonderful, fun, warm-hearted, and beautiful friends... i don't think i could tell them enough times how much i love them and how thankful i am for them...
life is beautiful.