Each Sunday as we receive the elements of Holy Communion, we sing the Agnus Dei, the Lamb of God. It is surely one of the most radical statements of faith in any religion and most of us, I am afraid, pay it far too little mind.

"Lamb of God you take away the sin of the world, have mercy on us."

The sin of the world.

Not just the sin of certain believers. Not just those who truly repent. Not just those who are born again. But the world, all of the world.

Can we begin to understand the implications of such sentiment?

No one, no one is separated from the love of God. No one is an outsider in the eyes of God. No one is damned for not believing enough or the right things or in the proper way. God takes away the sin of the world.

Now if that is true...and I believe to the depths of my being that it is...then surely what matters is not so much convincing others of how they should think as reaching out to others with acts of compassion and love.

The lamb of God has already taken care of the sin.

We are being called to act like we really believe it.