It is too small a thing to redeem only a few. God wants us all. This good news deserves our full acceptance.

Thomas Merton wrote, “A happiness that is sought for ourselves alone can never be found; for a happiness that is diminished by being shared is not big enough to make us happy.”

A heaven reserved for a chosen few is a heaven too small to bring us happiness. All God’s children must be accounted for, every seat at the table taken. Empty seats would be cause for sorrow, a sad reminder of evil’s triumph.

Only when the table is full can the celebration begin. Only then will God’s joy be full.

from If Grace Is True