Curious Christian

I came across a journal entry from two years ago that caught my attention. I’d written about a man who saw Jesus as someone who condemns anyone who doesn’t love him, rather than someone who loves everyone and would reach out to anyone willing to take his hand. Reading it now, I’m struck by how easily the gospel can be misunderstood, as if God’s love were demanding or manipulative, rather than patient and inviting.

So much additional suffering comes from that confusion. We’re quick to call it unfair when we’re simply reaping what we’ve collectively sown, as if the natural consequences of our choices were some kind of divine injustice. But Jesus came not to condemn us for being trapped in sin, but to lead us out of it. His invitation was never “Love me or else,” but simply, “Come, follow me.” When the rich young man turned away, Jesus didn’t rebuke him; “he looked at him and loved him” (Mark 10:21). Even his warnings were acts of mercy, truth spoken to spare us from destruction.

Even when people assume Jesus is just waiting to condemn those who don’t love him, his call remains rooted in love. It is never the manipulative, threatening love of a narcissist, but an invitation to trust him, to walk differently, step by step, even in the face of the threat we pose to ourselves. Following him isn’t about avoiding punishment or proving devotion; it is about discovering a way of life shaped by the love he offers to all.