Law and Gospel

 Law and Gospel 

Huffing out his cheeks, “This is what I’ve been thinking,” Axel* said. “They love the Law, the Pharisees - and their descendants - because they fear the Gospel.

     “I don’t mean Paul’s gospel, which would only tie them in different knots, bind them with different ties - the ones that begin with ‘but.’ ‘Grace is absolutely, absolutely free, but . . . ’ It’s not Paul’s gospel that we fear but Jesus’, because it excludes no one.” He paused as if he didn’t want to go on; but he did. “Or excludes only the hypocrites. And it excludes them only as long as they don’t admit it.

     “All this is in Camus,” he said.

     “There’s no way to avoid being a hypocrite,” I said, “but to stay in bed and don’t answer the phone.

     “Don’t give anyone any advice ever,” I said.

09.20.18

_______________

 * Axel Sundstrøm, my Lutheran pastor friend. Here’s about him.