A disclaimer: I am not a trained pastor. What follows is my personal belief in and understanding of my creator.

I was raised as a Methodist. God was stern, Jesus was distant, and the Holy Spirit was vaporous. The Trinity was something in a book or on the walls of a building. I believed…. but my relationship with God was not anything like a friendship. God was fixed and pretty much 2 dimensional. He was somewhere over there. It never occurred to me that God might have feelings. It would have never occurred to me to explore God’s emotions.

But that is what I’m going to try to do this week.

Examine the closest, best relationships in your life…..your spouse, your children, your closest friends. Then remember that we were created in God’s image. I believe that the finest points of the best relationships in our lives are a pale reflection of God’s relationship to us. So if you want to look into the heart of God…..start by looking at the best relationships in your life.

What are the characteristics of those relationships?

Love
A desire for closeness
We hope that they will find peace and joy……. happiness
We try to share with them the skills that will lead to happiness
We hope that they will choose well
Joy when they succeed…….when they grow
Sadness when they choose badly……when they fail
Sadness when bad things enter their lives
Anger when someone evil harms them

All of these things are gifts to the other person. None of them are self serving. In our modern me-centric culture, it seems counter-intuitive. But, I have often said that the surest path to lasting joy is to give of yourself to another person. This is one of the greatest truths of life…….and it is a reflection of the core teachings of Christianity…… Love God……Love your neighbor. These 2 teachings lead us to joy. And joy is the surest sign of the presence of God.

I believe that this truth is close to the heart of God.

So……to return to the beginning. How does God feel?

Just like a husband….. Just like a wife…….Just like a parent.

God is happy when we succeed and sad when we fail.
He shares in our joy and in our pain.

The trick is that he knows the path to real lasting success……the path to real lasting joy. And it comes from selflessly giving of ourselves to others. This is not the “survival of the fittest”…..claw your way to the top……get more stuff mantra of our culture.

How else do you explain a God……a friend……who would choose to suffer crucifixion solely for our benefit……. solely for my benefit?

God gained nothing from the cross……except for relationship, except for love, and the joy that comes from giving of himself to another.

So………..how does God feel?

Love………I am convinced that a deep abiding love for us…..for me…..is at God’s core.

Joy…….the joy that comes from loving us…….the joy that comes from loving me.

Hope…….that we will choose wisely and grow closer to him…….that we will value our relationship with him as much as he does.

And maybe some sadness too………when we choose badly…….when we turn away from him.

This is the God that I know……my friend. This is the God that I look forward to spending eternity with.

“I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.”

Jesus, NIV

“I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”

Jesus, NIV

There is a holiday coming. It’s a pretty big deal. Everybody gives and gets presents. A retailer recently told me that over half of her sales occur in the last 6 weeks of the year.

There are hundreds of movies about this holiday. My favorite is “The Christmas Gift” with John Denver. Almost all of these movies will ask the same 2 questions…….”Do you believe in Santa Claus?” and “will you find love?”

Sadly almost none will ask the question, “Do you believe in Jesus Christ?”

Odd…….for a holiday called Christmas.

Ironic ………when you consider that Jesus is the source of both the greatest gift and the greatest love that humanity has ever encountered.

I still get a little thrill when I hear one of the old Christmas songs like “The First Noel”. What makes me sad is that my children and grandchildren will never know that. For them, Christmas is just a day when you get lots of presents………no more. By new years, the thrill is gone and it’s back to business as usual.

I think that this is a symptom of the shift in our culture from Christianity to secular humanism. This shift has been encouraged by a small group of committed atheists and their lawyers……..by Hollywood and the media elites……..by our colleges and universities. The disagreements between Christians and the LGBTQ community haven’t helped.

Ultimately, though, each of us is individually responsible. Each of us will be individually judged……..for the things that we do……….for the things that we don’t do……..and likely for the things that we tolerate.

Ultimately, it all comes down to my priorities……..and yours.
Which comes first……..what I want……..or what God wants?

Secular humanism tells me that what I want is all that there is.

God has expectations that often lead me in a different direction. God often expects me to act beyond my immediate appetites.

The only valid argument for choosing “what I want”……..is that God doesn’t exist. And yet if you honestly search your heart…….if you accept the reality that there are things beyond what current science can explain……….you can sense his presence.

You know in your heart the validity of his law……..Love God & Love your Neighbor.

On the other hand you should be sceptical of a moral framework that always tells you that whatever you want………..is right.

This choice of priorities is the most important decision that you will ever make. It is a choice with eternal consequences. In a way, it is a choice between Santa Claus with his bag full of toys………..and God with his law of love.

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Paul, NIV

“No one here gets out alive”

Jim Morrison

I can’t say that Morrison led an exemplary life…….but he did find an occasional kernel of truth. The simple fact is this……..from the moment of our birth, we are all dying…….the little girl running on the playground………and the old man in the wheelchair. It has been said that there are 2 great moments in life…….birth and death.

So……how do we handle death……how should we handle death?

I have friends and acquaintances who have died.
I’m 66 years old and I have coronary artery disease. I have friends with cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, etc. It seems like every month somebody I know dies or is given a fatal diagnosis.

But here’s the thing.

We are all facing death, the only difference among us is how close it is……….and do we have a hint as to how it will unfold. We can see this current physical world clearly. But, death…….and what happens after death is not so clear. And that can be scary.

When we are young, we see a long road ahead, life is good, death is distant, and we pretty much ignore it. When we are old, it is much more immediate………much harder to ignore. And, I suppose, that is what prompted this post.

So……. how do we deal with death…….how should we deal with it? I think it depends on whether or not you accept the idea…….I would say the promise……..of a life after our death.

There are options for those who don’t accept the afterlife:

Ignore death……..denial
Eat drink and be merry…… hedonism
Severely restrict ourselves……ascetism
Live life based solely on measurable physical things…..science
Ignore the “rules”….because “you aren’t the boss of me”….crime
Spend your life telling others what to do……elitism
Climb the ladder to get ahead of others……so that you can be the richest, most powerful dying person on the planet.

There is really only one option for those who believe in the promise of an afterlife.

Seek the creator, the guy who created paradise…….. because by finding him, you can learn about your future……you can find out what is expected of you…….you can learn to make choices in this world that will best serve you and others in the long run……..eternity. This is a huge deal, since eternity is a whole lot bigger than our 70 or 80 years here.

What it comes down to is our decision about what is most important…….. maximizing our brief 70 to 80 years in this life……..or maximizing our eternity.

So…….to get back to where I started…..how we face death depends on whether we accept the existence of a creator who loves us and who has created a place for us after our death. If you accept the promise of paradise, death is the transition from this brief restricted, in many ways broken, world to a much bigger better world. If you do not accept the existence of a creator……..if you believe that this is all a giant biochemical accident………then death is the end.

Death is either a hopeful…….even joyous thing or the source of the most profound dispair in our lives.

And here is the amazing thing………the choice between joy and dispair………is entirely up to you.

Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

David, NIV

I spend a lot of time praying for God’s help. You probably do too. There are things that seem good to me…….things that I want to happen……..and I pray for them. So far so good.

I read the Bible just about every day. It contains a lot of good advice…..and a lot of rules. So far so good.

But there is a problem. When I pray…….when you pray…….do you ever ask for something that you don’t like, that you don’t want?

Do you ever ask God to raise your taxes and use the money to feed the poor? Do you ever pray for God to heal justice Ginsberg? Do you ever pray for the end of abortion?

How do you react when you read a Bible verse that you don’t like…….. perhaps a verse that tells you that you are doing something wrong…….or failing to do something?

“Do not commit adultery”

Give 10% to the church

There is a common thread here. We pray for what WE want. We embrace the passages in the Bible that agree with what WE want to do. We often go a step further…….we reject or ignore the parts of the Bible that are in conflict with our wants, our needs, our appetites.

The Bible says don’t commit murder but a great many Christians support gun ownership. A great many Christians support abortion. You can make a strong argument that in a soundly Bible based society……..neither of these would exist. How can this be?

I think that what it comes down to is “Who is in charge”? In other words who do I trust the most God……….or myself?

We spend a lot of our prayers trying to recruit God to “our side”.
We spend a lot of intellectual energy trying to twist the Bible until it agrees with what we want. In a word, we are trying to get God to align himself with us…….to join our team.

There was a world war two movie where a captured German officer says of his captors, “you were always so sure that God was on your side”. He clearly believed in God and had convinced himself that there was no conflict between the Bible and the actions of his government.

So my meditation today is this………am I struggling to conform myself to God……or am I struggling to conform God to me?
Of these two approaches……. the first is difficult and may not be much fun………..but the second is doomed.

“My concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God’s side, for God is always right.”

Abraham Lincoln

I think…….and worry…….about you often. I find myself in a bit of a bind here. I will be in paradise in a few short years and I’d really like for you to be there with me. It is going to be great……but it will be even better with you there. I don’t want to nag you or to annoy you. But, if I say nothing, you may miss out on something truly fabulous. For that matter, I too will miss out on something……your company.

You and I have different beliefs. I believe that we were created by a God who is active and involved in this world. You believe in science which tells us that it is all a big accident. The thing is that these two belief systems are mutually exclusive. In a word……..one of us must be wrong.

If I am wrong, I will lead a good life: loving those around me, supporting my community, paying my taxes, giving to charity, and then…..in a few short years…….I will die and the lights will just go out. I won’t even know that I was wrong.

If you are wrong, you will lead a good life: loving those around you, supporting your community, paying your taxes, giving to charity, and then…..in a few short years……you will die. But then………….you will have an conversation with your creator, your father. It will probably be a little awkward. Then you will likely miss out on paradise, which was your destiny……and mine for that matter…… from the very start.

And I will have failed you as a friend.

So, when I finally work up the courage to annoy you…..again, be patient with me. My long term goal is to someday soon sit down with you in paradise……..and to talk…….over a pastry and a great cup of coffee in a little cafe with a great view………..with two custom bikes parked nearby.

How cool is that?

My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.”

Jesus, NIV

It’s a simple question.

We return to it many times a day…….but we rarely give it much thought. The traffic light is green…….we trust that the driver on the side street will stop. We drop our child off at school……..we trust that the staff will not only teach her……..but protect her as well. These everyday acts of trust work pretty well for the most part.

There are bigger issues though.

Death
Life….. Where does it come from….. When does it begin?
Eternity
Sex……..male, female, trans, bi, LGBTQ, marriage
Freedom ……….and its limits
Rights………what we are entitled to
Family
Our neighbors and the social contract

We navigate these issues by relying on a set of norms……. for lack of a better word……rules. Our American society places great value on individualism. We encourage everyone to be their own person. Many societies, especially in the Orient place much less value on individualism. It should come as no surprise then that we each develop our own set of rules. It is rare to find two Americans who operate on exactly the same set of rules. Our biggest public fights arise because of these different sets of rules.

This post is about how we develop the set of rules that we run our life by. This internal set of rules deserves some examination……..because it colors everything that we do.

Here are a few general principles.

The fact that somebody else uses a different rule than mine does not necessarily make them evil. There is some room for honest disagreement.

Some people use a set of rules that is so disruptive that they cannot be allowed in society………and we put them in cages. There is an absolute limit to what we can do in a society.

At the heart of how we develop our set of rules is the simple question………”who do you trust”? In other words whose rules do we adopt? Here are some popular options. You can choose one…….or more than one.

Myself
God…… The Bible
The Republican party
The Democratic party
My parents
My friends
The taking heads on Fox/CNN, etc.
My smart phone

I’m sure that you get the drift here. Some sources of rules can be trusted more than others. But here’s the rub……every one on this list has an agenda. They are all trying to influence you. They are all trying to send you specifically…….and society in general……somewhere.

The starting point is myself…….who is better equipped to set up my rules than me? The problem is that I am often dishonest…..and so are you. When was the last time that you talked yourself into doing something that was ultimately self destructive…….or harmful to a neighbor. We call it rationalization……..and we do it every day…..the rolling stop…….the phone call that you ignore……the sales tax on that internet purchase that you don’t report. And if you think your set of rules is bad…….just look at the other guy. In Kentucky, 90% of the people using handicapped parking have no meaningful handicap.

Then there are the politicians. They have a vision for society and they use hate to divide us in order to achieve a “more perfect union”. It’s crazy but the number of people who blindly follow their party and demonize the other party is amazing.

The talking heads are no better. They are pretty much mouthpieces for their party.

My friends are very much like me…….they will support just about anything I want to do. That’s why I chose them.

And then there is the biggest liar on the list……..and it’s in your hand right now.

My parents are a pretty good choice. With a few exceptions, their primary goal is my success and my happiness. They will make mistakes, but with a few rare exceptions, their heart is in the right place. Teens and young adults ……..read this paragraph again!

Finally……… God and his “owners manual”….. The Bible.
God’s motivation is pure. He wants a relationship with you. He wants long term…… eternal…….success and joy for you. The norms…….the rules in the Bible are there for only one reason…….to lead you to achieve long term love and joy.

So my answer to the question “who should you trust?”

God.

“Take all that you can of this book upon reason, and the balance on faith, and you will live and die a happier man. “(When a skeptic expressed surprise to see him reading a Bible)

Lincoln

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

Solomon, NIV

As a part of my morning meditation, I try to clear my mind.

I pray…….”here I am Lord”…… then I listen.

In a way, I am standing before God…….. waiting for a word……. wisdom, instruction, maybe even a command. Sometimes I hear nothing……. sometimes an idea pops into my head. Many of these ideas end up in this blog. I’m not saying that they came from God…….or even that they are correct……. though I try to follow him. These ideas are not really even the point of today’s post……… rather, today I’m focusing on how it feels……….how it feels when you try to approach God.

So………..What do I feel when I stand before God?

Love
Respect
Safety
Hope
Fear
Weakness
Thankfulness
Humility
Gratitude
Flawed
Undeserving

These are the emotions that I begin my day with today.

I spent many years ignoring God. I don’t believe I ever denied him……..I just pushed him off into a corner where I could keep a lid on him……..keep him from causing me any trouble.

Functionally, I was living life as a secular humanist. If I can reconstruct how I felt as a secular humanist it would look like this.

Powerful
In control
Smart
Competent
Skilled
Better than my fellow man
Deserving
Righteous
Entitled

As I look at these two lists, the second one is in many ways more appealing……….it certainly sounds like more fun. I can see the appeal of secular humanism.

As a secular humanist, the key feature in my life was this:

I got to do whatever I wanted. Whatever I said was right……was right. When you live your life on list 2, nobody gets to tell you anything.

I was smart and successful……… usually, when I did what I wanted, it turned out well…….. sometimes, not so much. I remember bring proud of myself and of my achievements. What I don’t remember is being happy. In fact I was lonely. I don’t remember being satisfied. In fact, the more I got………the more I achieved……….the more I wanted. The harder I pursued my appetites, the more my appetites grew. The list of things that I wanted stretched on forever……….there was no endpoint.

Somewhere along the way, I let God out of the corner. Slowly over the years, I moved from list 2 to list 1. On the surface, it looks like a step backwards. But here’s the trick……..I am happier and more satisfied now. My world now involves an endpoint, God, that is close……..and more important…….it is attainable. This is a big improvement over the endless series of acquisitions and achievements that I chased for years…….the string of desires and appetites that went on forever as far as the eye could see.

Why does list 1…….which looks weak…….beat list 2……..which looks like fun?

I think it is because it is true. I am happy and satisfied because I am living my life in the place that I was meant for. My destination, God, is close and achievable because it is correct.

Given the choice between a 66 Camaro (near the top of my list of appetites) and satisfaction…….I choose satisfaction. If I had chosen the Camaro, I’d probably want new upholstery anyway.

“for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.”

David, NIV

We spend most of our lives working…….whether at our job or at home……… whether we get paid or not.

For the most part we have a goal…….or goals……..things that we are working toward. Our goals reflect what we want…….our appetites. We spend most of our lives pursuing these appetites……..and yet we give little effort to examining them…….to assessing their quality.

So the challenge this week is to fearlessly examine the appetites that drive us; because, the pursuit of these appetites leads to the greatest triumphs in our lives……..and to the greatest disasters.

I’ll start with a list of appetites………things that people pursue.
Some of them will be very familiar. Others may make you uncomfortable.

Money
Security
Status/fame
Love/relationship
Friendship
Sex
Power
Respect
God
Truth
Empire(building something big)
Helping others
Luxury(food, clothing, entertainment)
Addictions
Revenge (aka justice)

These are some of the common appetites……..you can probably add to the list. The idea here is to honestly and fearlessly list the three appetites that usually drive you. Then put them in order. The value of this exercise will hinge on how honest you are with yourself. Take a minute and write them down on a piece of paper right now.

We all know what we are supposed to pursue……like “world peace”. We also know that our list of appetites is different.

I’m a Christian. The Bible tells me that my #1 appetite should be God. But, unfortunately, the truth is different.

So………here is my list……..in order.

Security
Respect
Truth

God and love didn’t even make the top three. Don’t get me wrong……..these three appetites of mine are noble. I have pursued them for 60 years with some success. I also suspect that some of my greatest failures are rooted in that list……..and I think I’ll pass on listing my failures……..though my family can probably produce a comprehensive account.

The key thing here is that my list of appetites is not carved in stone………although after 60 years, flexibility may not be my strong suit. I can change my appetites……..if I am willing to make the necessary sacrifices.

So the next part of the exercise is to make a list of three new appetites that you can pursue………maybe better appetites than those on your first list. Again, write them down.

My list of better appetites?

God
Love
Helping others

If your new list is the same as your first list, congratulations………..you are a truly rare human.

And I’m sorry, Miss America………”world peace” will have to wait.

It’s probably not feasible for me to throw out my 60 year old list……or for you to throw out yours for that matter. But, maybe I can add one appetite from my new list to my old list.

Security
Respect
Truth
God

I can work on the order later.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

Jesus, NIV

I have never been a social butterfly.

I talk to people, I can tell funny stories. I can teach. I can help others out. But, I never have been very good at developing deep, close personal relationships with others. I tell myself that I’m a little shy……..probably true. But, there is likely more to it than that.

We go through life accumulating stuff. I’m now in my sixties and when I talk to those around me, I keep hearing a lot about “downsizing”……..about getting rid of stuff. Then I look around my house and my shop and I can see that the amount of stuff is staggering. It’s great stuff and I enjoy it a lot. There is great pleasure in using a beautiful crafted tool or in shooting a finely built gun. But, the stuff just doesn’t seem to satisfy me. Entertains me…….. maybe…….but satisfies me? ……..not so much.

I have recently lost an important relationship. The why behind it is not important. This failed relationship has led me to reflect on the value of relationships in my life……..in all of our lives. I have to conclude that accumulating people is far more important than accumulating stuff. It is also far more difficult. The current “information age” has made this much worse. My closest relationship is with my wife……….but my cell phone is a close second. I wonder where my grandchildren will wind up.

Then I consider God…….the most powerful force in the universe. God is a creator…….THE creator. Stuff is no problem for him. If he wants something, he can simply create it. 66 Supersport Camaro……..with a really loud throaty exhaust……..0 to 60 in 8 seconds……..no problem! But, when you read the Bible, God doesn’t seem interested in the Camaro………or any other kind of stuff. Repeatedly, he says that what he wants is relationship………with you and with me. He wants the kind of deep intimate personal relationship that seems to escape me……….and maybe you too.

So……..God gives us the gift of loneliness.

Sounds odd, but loneliness is the feeling that drives us into relationship. Loneliness is the force that makes us reach out beyond ourselves………beyond our stuff……….. beyond our cell phones to connect with others………others who are just as lonely as we are.

Most of the fundamental feelings in our heart are a pale reflection of God’s heart. We are, after all, created in his image. Do you ever wonder if God feels something similar to loneliness………a desire for relationship……..with you? Maybe that is what drove him to create this universe. Maybe that is why he is willing to forgive our misdeeds. What if God’s driving motivation in all of his vast creation is to be my friend………to be your friend?

I hope that this is true. My hope is that one day I will encounter Jesus, not as an equal, but as a friend.

Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends,

Jesus, NIV

There are two realms.

There is the world that we see. We can touch it, we can measure it. To a great degree we can even understand it. There are parts of it that elude us, but we keep exploring them hoping that someday we may understand them. This is the realm of science.

Then, there is the world that we cannot see. It includes all of the things that science cannot detect, quantify and explain. This is the realm of God.

It is where these two realms meet that we run into trouble. Sometimes we find things that were once part of the unseen realm that we begin to understand and can move into the realm of the seen……..like magnetism. Magnetism was once viewed as mystical, even occult. Now it is firmly in the realm of the seen…..the realm of science.

So………for better or worse,we tend to leave the realm of the seen to science…….but, how do we deal with the realm of the unseen?

Deny it. If I can’t see it and measure it with the tools of human science, then it isn’t real. The trouble is that science keeps expanding its reach. Stuff that wasn’t real yesterday becomes real today. Another problem is that science doesn’t always get things right……… just ask Columbus……or Galileo. The other problem is that we will miss out on anything real that is unseen……..both the blessings and the curses.

Ignore it. While we recognize that there are unseen things that are real, we cannot use them……we cannot manipulate them. So, why bother with them. This saves us a lot of effort but it becomes a problem if there are things in the unseen realm that can help us…….or harm us. There is an irony here. If the unseen is real, the fact that we deny or ignore it is irrelevant. Its impact on our lives remains.

Explore it. Admit that there are real things, real beings that are not only unseen…….but unseeable. Recognize that these beings can affect us and our world…….both for good and for bad. This calls for discernment. Every day somebody comes to us with an idea that they tell us is part of the unseen……..and it is a complete fiction. We have to sort between the fictional unseen and the real unseen. This is where things get difficult. Some of the unseen things that people try to sell us are easy to discard…….like Ouija boards. Others are much tougher. How do you sort between God (of the Bible), Satan, Allah, the Greek and Roman Gods, Aliens, ancestor worship, etc?

I believe that the defining act of the supreme unseen being, God, is creation. If there are other unseen beings, then the one who created me and this world is the one that counts. The creator is God.

But who is he?

I look for his fingerprints in his creation. Man is his ultimate creation and I believe that in our better moments we are a poor reflection of our creator’s heart. So what does that look like?

This reflection of our creator is “written on our hearts”…..it is “hard wired” into us.

We want to love and be loved.
We care for others, especially our children.
We need relationship.
We will forgive bad behaviour in order to build relationships.
We believe in eternity……..life after death.
We know that it is wrong to lie, steal, murder and cheat on our spouse.
We know that we should be kind to those around us…….even strangers.
We sense that there is something missing in our world.

These fingerprints are codified in the Bible. Because the Bible reflects what I sense in my heart to be true, I believe that the Bible is the best description of God that we have.

So, I believe that there is a real world that is unseen…….and largely unseeable. A part of that world is our creator……. God.
Based on the things that are in my heart on my best days, I believe that the Bible is a good description of God………..and of his expectations of me.

“The LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.”

God, NIV

Praise the LORD, my soul, and forget not all his benefits— who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. The Lord works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed. He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel: The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

David, NIV