Simon Says

~God loves us.
~Except for the conservative.
~Except for the liberal.
~Except for the drag queen.
~Except for the butch.

Why do we add these issues into the most basic statement about our God?  Why do we judge against others, let alone our own community?  Today's gospel has a very interesting metaphor.  "The people of this generation are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another,
'We played the flute for you,
and you did not dance;
We wailed,
and you did not weep.'" (Luke 7:32)
This image was a game that worked in the exact opposite way of Simon Says.  When the children pretended to be musicians, some other children were supposed to react differently to what kind of music they were playing.
It is just a game.
How, then, can we be compared to a children's game?  How can we be called mindless?
How about when we turn away from the gospel, a song of worship and praise? How about when we condemn others while God is reaching out for us with God's mercy?
You see, we play with God as if we were the other children refusing to follow the lead, whereas God is very serious about love and mercy.
Let's cut the games and give God our undivided attention.