Several Faces of God: A Tender God, a Merciful God, a Loving God, and a Protective God

 In today's first reading, Exodus 22: 20-26, God is shown to us as one who cares about the way that we treat our neighbor, especially orphaned children, widows and aliens! God asks that the people be cognizant of orphans and widows, as they are most in need of being cared for. If you hurt them, God says,  my "wrath will flare up, and I will kill  you with the sword; then your own wives will be widows, and your children orphans." And finally, in this same passage, God says to the people: If you borrow a cloak from someone, return it at night because that is all the person has to sleep in and do not charge that person interest for using it.

We are presented an image of God, who, like a lioness with its cubs, will, in no way, tolerate the wicked, the deceitful, the narcissistic, greedy person treating children or widows or anyone in need with disdain, neglect or abuse, harming them in any way. We are shown a tender God, who is concerned that a person has coverings at night so as to stay warm during sleep!  Jesus shows us God's tenderness in His healing of the sick, casting out demons, raising the dead to life, feeding thousands so they would not faint on the way home from hours clinging to His every word, and rebuking the disciples who wanted him to get rid of the children and stop letting them bother Him!  Jesus showed us a merciful God in His forgiving those who sinned, such as the woman caught in adultery and those wanting her stoned to death, the good thief on the cross, Peter in his denials, John and James wanting first places in His Kingdom, disciples who wanted to exclude those who were  not Jesus' followers but were healing the sick and casting out demons and so on!

 May you and I imitate God in his tenderness, his protectiveness of "orphans" and "widows," and his determination to hold the wicked accountable for their crimes against humanity, not enabling their wicked ways by making excuses for them and applauding their ways. May we also be tender toward ourselves, protect and keep ourselves safe, and hold ourselves accountable for the sins we commit, not making excuses for ourselves or applauding our bad behaviors.