Gov. Kathleen Sebelius told a statewide organization Saturday that it's time to take a new view of religion and politics.
Speaking to Kansans for Faithful Citizenship, a statewide nondenominational group that's just a year old, Sebelius said it's a mistake to make personal faith a political litmus test.
The Topeka Capital-Journal quoted Sebelius:
"Far too often religion is used as a way to intimidate and divide us in that if you don't believe in a certain set of credos, then somehow you are not religious," she said.Speaking at a Johnson County hotel, Sebelius talked about her personal faith and said her work as governor is guided by a chapter of Matthew that speaks to preparing the soul for judgment. The Capital-Journal reported:
"Did we feed the hungry?" she said. "Did we clothe the naked? Did we care for the sick? Did we act out of selfishness or selflessness? Do we truly love our neighbors as people of every faith are called on to do? If not, you're not going to be very welcome in the kingdom of heaven."Personally speaking, my only comment is amen to that.
All of her comments are well worth reading.
1 comment:
I must add an “Amen” to Diane Silver’s “Amen” and to Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius’s comments. Sebelius used Matthew 26:31-46 which has been called the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats.
In this parable Jesus says he will know his sheep on the final day because: (verses 35 & 36) they fed him when he was hungry; they gave him drink when he was thirsty; they took him in when he was a stranger; they clothed him when he needed clothing (in some translations, the word “naked” is used); they took care of him when he was sick; and they visited him when he was in prison.
The “sheep” ask when did we do this - we don’t remember seeing you. Jesus replied (verse 40), “… I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”
Likewise he will cast out the goats - because (verse 45) “… I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.”
All four of the Gospels (Matthew 23:37-40; Mark 12:29-31; Luke 10:26-28; and John 13:34-35) give various wording to what has been called THE GREATEST COMMANDMENT -- “To love one another as I have loved you.” There is a hymn that says, “They will know we are Christians by our love - by our love. They will know we are Christians by our love.”
My Sunday school taught me that “God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son to die for us.“ … that the Son who died for us exhorted us to love one another and that the greatest act of love was to lay one’s life down for another. My Sunday school taught me “Judge not lest ye be judged.“ The Lord’s Prayer says, “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.“
How many practice what we were taught? How many are know by hate rather than love? How many "Talk the talk, but don't walk the walk?” Life is scary. Formulas give easy answers to all the scary stuff.
But, there are no easy answers or furmulas. One must make hard choices each day. If we act with “love for one another” then, at least, we have made that moment of that day a better place.
Let us love one another in all the various colors and shapes of the rainbow. God made flowers of different colors and different shapes so the world would be more beautiful.
Post a Comment