Rick McKinley - My Newest Read

"Jesus in the Margins - Finding God in the places we ignore", by Rick McKinley, is a book that I recently picked up and have been finding some good thoughts in, some real thoughts and some thoughts that take me to that place....you know....that place of Love ....recognizing just who I am in God's eyes. Identity. The big "I", you know. This is all about the different places in the margins of society where people feel illegitimate for one reason or a hundred reasons and who sense that "society" or "christian society" especially see them as unacceptable, unloveable, and the sad thing is....most of us surrounded by fear or life experiences begin to think that we are those things because that is the world we live in. We will never measure up. We will be "marginalized" for life.

But the great news is....that according to Rick,

"They're the people that Isaiah 61 says Jesus came to love - the poor, the broken, the needy. And when the love of Jesus is brought to a place like theirs, it shows up like a diamond on black velvet. It just sparkles brilliantly because it's so foreign to these people's existence."

"His invitation to us is to walk away from the names placed on us by society and to hear and believe the new names the Father gives us.

Legitimate.
Accepted.
Loved.
Cared for.
Forgiven.

His Love is here to complete us."

He is not interested in necessarily moving us from the marginalized places we find ourselves and especially not interested in placing us in an OREC (Organized Religious Entertainment Center or Church to some), but loving us here where we are, wherever that is. "He wants to let you know you're named by God." You are the Father's Child.

Awesome.

The best advice for anyone in this world......find out who you are, by the one who Created you. Everyone else's opinion is just that. Opinion. Means nothing to the God who presents us His Son, Jesus, definitely one of the marginalized people of His physical time on earth. But He knew, He was the Father's Son and what that meant. That was everything. That was enough and more.