Reflections from Morocco

I recently returned from a week long prayer journey to Morocco.  We went to meet with people and pray and worship together.  On Sunday morning, we joined a small gathering of Christians in a building which was guarded by a Moroccan police officer to protect us from potential violence and to monitor who was attending these sessions.

I kept thinking about the difference between fear-based relationships vs. love-based relationships.  A fear-based relationship relies on dominance, control, manipulation and guilt to restrain the freedom of another.  A love-based relationship makes both people completely vulnerable to the other relying on trust, faith, forgiveness and the freedom of the other.  Love requires faith that the other will freely choose to love back.

I am grateful for the gift of freedom wherever I find it.  More than ever before I am grateful for the freedom of religion- to practice by faith without fear and without interference from the government or broader community.

I like that the God I love gives me the gift of freedom to accept or deny a relationship with him.  He doesn't demand my worship, obedience or love.  This would make him an insecure God.  Instead, He is the joy-giver and the love-giver.  He woos and romances me by encounters with his love in nature, in children, in friends and zillions of other ways.  He even says "he is a friend of sinners" meaning no one is exempt from his love and inclusion.

One of my favorite scriptures:

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.  1 John 4:8