Who Indeed Are You?

But who indeed are you, a human being, to argue with God? Will what is molded say to the one who molds it, “Why have you made me like this?” As indeed [God] says in Hosea, “Those who were not my people I will call ‘my people,’ and those who were not beloved I will call ‘beloved.’” – Romans 9:20 & 25 (NRSV) 

The Museum of Puppetry in Ljubljana, Slovenia is interactive. That’s what the man at the front desk told us as he scanned our tickets. What seemed to be blank walls as we entered were actually cabinets to be opened and holes to be peered into. 

Further down, I found an electronic pad and stylus in front of a puppet from a famous early production, The Little Sleepy Star. In the show, the star is assigned to help the fierce bandit Ceferin change his life by teaching him how to write the word “beloved.” 

Visitors were invited to write it ourselves in English or Slovenian. I did both, pressing the button on the side to erase it in between. And as I did, I thought… 

I’m going to write a devotion about this. 

How could I not, given such a perfect metaphor? A little rectangle with “beloved” written on it? And no matter how many times it gets erased, someone comes along to write it again? 

You are that rectangle! 

And God is the one insistently writing. No matter how many times others try to scrub it out. No matter how many times you reach for the button to erase it yourself. God writes it again: “beloved.” 

Who indeed are you, a human being, to argue with God? 

Prayer
Show me belovedness written on everyone I meet today, including me.

About the Author
Vince Amlin is co-pastor of Bethany UCC, Chicago, and co-planter of Gilead Church Chicago, forming now.