Joy, great reflection. And I'm so glad that God doesn't forgive and love like we tend to. That's why we're told to be imitators of God, I suppose. Great text by your daughter as well.

Jan, excellent observation and addition. The problem is one of the culture within the church. Many times I don't think that we realize we act that way. In fact, we think it's normal to treat those who go overboard in that manner. Honestly, many of the behaviors we show in church, which are downright un-Christlike, have been ingrained into us not by any lesson of Scripture, but by our tradition. A lot of the way we do things is very similar to the way the Pharisees and Scribes - the "blind guides" who thought they were perfectly fine and thought Christ was the fanatic.

Great stuff by both of you, thank you.