Christianity teaches that God loves every human being and that He showed His love through Jesus dying on the cross for each one of us. Perhaps that concept is too familiar to many of us. We’ve heard it since we were babies. We agree with it. We believe it. However, it doesn’t move us to the depths of our being.

Jesus died for me. Those words should move us more than we were moved when we heard about 9/11. They should shake us up and yank us out of our comfort zone.

We are not just people. We are beloved of God! Shout it from the housetops. Cry out in the streets. Dance and rejoice. Shed tears of joy and tears of repentance. Respond to God’s love by obeying Jesus in your daily life.

Fact is, this concept doesn’t go very deep for most of us who say we believe it. We talk about the Gospel so casually, as if we were talking about the weather. We show no emotion. No passion. However, if we win $20.00 we get excited. If the team we like wins the big game, we dance in the stands. If we get a surprise day off from work we excitedly tell all our friends. However when/if we talk about God’s love we do it without emotion.

Even preachers are frequently bland about God. When was the last time you heard a preacher speak with passion? How often have you seen a preacher moved to tears? They often speak about profound truths as though they were talking about boring ancient history.

I think the greatest sin of preachers may be boring people with the most amazing truth in the world: God loves us. But so many sermons about this truth have made me sleepy. Shame. This should not be. Where is the passion for God?

Catherine Booth used to say that we have tried everything in preaching the Gospel and now it is time to try the fire. Amen to that. If we love God we should notify our face, our emotions, our passion and let the fire burn brightly with all the excitement a human can express.