People have strange notions of God. A semi-agnostic co-worker recently remarked to me that he regards the Bible as so much hooey because the God of the Old Testament is mean and wrathful while the God of the New Testament is about love and forgiveness. How can Christians, he wondered, be silly enough to believe in both. It seems to me that many people, whether or not they would articulate it in such a way, view God in much the same way.
They think that the God of the Old Testament created the world and was determined to run things His way. Step out of line and He would send a flood or drop some fire and brimstone on you just as soon as look at you. Follow the rules or He would open a whole can of smite on you.
The God of the New Testament, however, loves everyone just as they are …
