horrible people and a great God

Today in the One Year Bible, we are reminded of something very important in Romans 5:6-21. See the man in the pic above? That's Jeffrey Epstein. He's a pretty sorry excuse for a human being. He uses his immense wealth to own his own island which he stocks with underage girls. Then he and his buddies (including, according to public record, Bill Clinton) fly to that island on a plane called the Lolita Express, and they engage in sexual acts with these young girls. He's been doing this for years. He finally got busted, and now he's trying to use his (still) immense wealth to dodge the bullet.

Now we come to tonight's reading. "While we were still sinners," Paul tells us, "God showed His great love by sending Christ to die for us." While we were sinning, and Epstein was sinning, and the people of Sodom and Gomorrah were sinning... God loved us. He loved us so much that He sent His only Son, Whom He loved SO much that that love became another person (the Holy Spirit). And Jesus, that beloved son, came to earth to die. He died a horrible death so that people like me and you and Epstein could be saved from our sins, and become saints who live with Him forever in heaven.

Let's keep that in mind the next time we find out some horrible scandal about the next priest or boy scout leader or movie producer or politician. God loved them so much that He sent Jesus to die for them... while they were still sinning. And while you and I were still sinning too. Let's pray for them, that they too might be saved.

God, thanks for loving us so much.