Redeemer Devotions for July 2, 2013

This week: God as otherness. If you have any comments - adebelak@redeemerluth.com [mailto:adebelak@redeemerluth.com]I wonder if the language for God as 'other' is part of the problem that causes separation

and division. It is like this. So often, good religious folk are people who claim

to be in touch with God. If God is other, then that puts me in contact with something

other - something you may not have. That can help to create in me the notion that

I am with God - within God's blessed otherness - and you - well, you - are really

quite other - outside. And yet, God as otherness is not one that calls for us to

make things into an us and them situation. God as otherness, embraces us. That

is God takes hold of me and any and all of the 'others' that I create in my life.

God as other makes us all another part of the whole body of God's beloved. That

is a concept contrary to the way we usually operate. We like to have 'them over

there' who are not like us and maybe not quite worthy to be one of us. In the middle

of all of our 'stinking thinking' God is hauling in the others so that we will look

and live in peace with one another. God as other acts unlike us - that is meant

to be a blessing to all of us.



O God of love and new life, it is too easy to point our finger and make someone

one into something 'other'. We do it so quickly and we stick to it al Amen.