By Patrick Murphy

Love is a basic human need.

Most of us find it first within our family, and as we mature, if we are lucky, we find it in our church.

As a small boy I found love of God and a caring support group in my Catholic church. As I matured, however, I was taught that this loving care was reserved for members of my faith.

The neighbor in “love thy neighbor” was my coreligionist. Those outside might somehow gain God’s love and redemption, but that hope was problematic.

I also found that most other denominations appeared to feel much the same way – we were all in exclusive self-congratulatory boxes confident in our superiority.

By the time I graduated, I found so little of the Christ in Christianity that I left the church and its loving cocoon for over 30 years.

And then came Oscar Olson and his challenge to visit Mission of the Atonement (now called Spirit of Grace). How could I turn down a chance to see how the followers of Luther, that great spawn of Satan, and the followers of the devil in the Vatican could co-exist in peace?

And there they were – sitting in loving fellowship and accepting their differences while sharing their unity in Christ. And lightning didn’t strike the church.

And there were Pastor Laurie and Father Matt respectfully sharing an altar, and still no lightning. What happened to the Reformation and the counter-Reformation?

As I listened and learned, I found love and compassion that encompassed all of humanity and not just a few of the sectarian saved.

It was not a miracle on my road to Damascus, but a door opening to a return to belief. The true nature of God may be debatable and unknowable, but the determination to put a loving and universal Christ back into Christianity is possible to see in this congregation.

Thank you all for allowing me to share in this journey.