Why yes… I do read my Bible.

So I shared this post on Facebook the other day and someone commented that I should read my Bible before I vote. Now this person knows, as do anyone of you who read here regularly, that I read my Bible. But just to be certain I thought I’d share just little more on this…

1. Refugees and Immigrants should be fully welcome – Gen 23:4, Deuteronomy 10:19, Leviticus 19:34, Leviticus 27:19, Matthew 25:40, Romans 12:13, Romans 13:10, Hebrews 13:1-3,
2. All People deserve access to affordable healthcare – Luke 10:25-37, Acts 2,
3. Women should have autonomy over their own bodies – This does NOT mean I’m pro-abortion. It means I don’t think I have the right to make this choice for every woman out there. I don’t know any one else’s circumstances. I DO know that I am not to judge others and that I am called to love everyone, and if that is choice someone makes, I will understand how hard that decision was and be there to support them in love.
4. Every race, gender and orientation deserves respect (and as noted by another commenter equality.) – Galatians 3:28, Romans 2:11, Romans 12:3, Ephesians 5:21, Galatians 3:11
5. Mass incarnation and death penalty are not pro-life – hello… taking a life… refusing life… for whatever reason is not pro-life and neither is refusing to care for human life. I realize this messes with number 3 some but I only said that a woman should be able to make those decisions for herself with the consultation of her doctor.
6. The planet and atmosphere are our responsibility to care for – Genesis 1:26, 2:15, Numbers 35:33-34, Jeremiah 2:7
7. All faith traditions are equally valid – Acts 17:16-34 We can learn a lot about this from Paul.
8. Poverty and Hunger are unacceptable – Psalm 146:7, Matthew 25:40, 1 John 3:17-18, Psalm 82:3-4, Proverbs 14:31, Proverbs 29:7
9. Black Lives Matter – Genesis 1:27, Luke 4:16-19, Matthew 18: 12-14, Luke 15:3-7
10. God is not a straight, republican man – and as another commenter stated neither is God a Democrat. and I never said God was.

So in case you are wondering, as evidently my commenter was, yes, I have read my Bible and I do read it often… I preach every Sunday and write weekly devotionals based on scripture. And yes, I did read each and every one of these verses and then some so that I could write this post. I invite each of you read them too.

I also know, that not every one believes like me and I’m okay with that.

We all read the Bible in our own context and with preconceived notions.

I believe that our understanding of the Bible can change each time we read it! That God can use the same scripture to teach different lessons at different times in our lives.

I also believe that someone who thinks differently than me can find other verses in the same Bible for each of these topics that will speak more to what their opinions and beliefs are.

The Bible is used way too often as a weapon and I’m not meaning to do that here, just letting this commenter know that I do read my Bible. I don’t think it was ever meant to be a weapon. Let’s repeat that… THE BIBLE IS NOT A WEAPON.

When I read my Bible I read it with a lens of love because that’s what I believe Jesus came to earth to do and teach… LOVE.

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

1 Corinthians 13:13