Why God?

by Lee Johnson, Associate Pastor, Valley View United Methodist Church

Why God? Why believe in God? Because, God is love. That's why.

The story of the Bible is the story of God's love for all of humankind. This includes you and me. Time and time again, God showers God's people with love even when they have turned away from God. Time and time again, it is God's love that proves sufficient and saves the people of God from further disaster.

In the Old Testament, God's love saves Noah and his family, and really all of humanity, from the destructive powers of a flood. Later on, God acts out of love to part the Red Sea and save the Israelites from Pharaoh's army. In the New Testament, God's love manifests itself in Jesus Christ. Humanity is given yet another chance through the love of Jesus who seeks to save all people from sin and death. Yes, the Bible is the story of a God who unceasingly acts to love the world so it might become the place God created it to be. God is love.

God's love, though, it not a magic wand. It does not save people from difficult times. Clearly, the people of God in the Bible knew hardship. Still, God's love provided the strength to keep going, to keep moving on, to have faith in a new day even in the midst of personal pain. Such is the power of God's love. And, guess what? God's love never lets anyone down. And, it won't let you down, either. That's just the way God works.

To believe in God is to believe in a power bigger than any life problem that comes our way. To believe in God is to believe in a power that enters into our midst in the most difficult of times and shares our pain and suffering in order to lead us to a new tomorrow. To believe in God is to believe in the power of love.

I believe that's what you will discover inside a Christian church - the reality of God's love. Oh, I feel certain God's love already has been a reality in your life. After all, none of us make it very far on our own without God's love. But, inside a Christian church, God's love is named, celebrated, proclaimed and acted upon.

You're invited to discover more about the reality of God's love at Valley View United Methodist Church. Valley View, a congregation of 700 families (about 1500 members), is located in Overland Park, one block east of 95 and Antioch. On Sunday, worship services are held at 9:15 and 10:45 a.m. Please feel free to join the Valley View congregation. Call us at 642-4400. We want to share God's love with you!