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It’s happened twice. Maybe it’ll happen a third time…
God took verses I thought were old news, and transformed them.
To say things I didn’t know I needed to hear. About men.
First, in Nepal, I was sitting out on the balcony reading 2 Corinthians 5:
“So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”
Classic, right? I’m used to finding those verses, applying them to me and feeling so encouraged – “I’m a new creation! My old has gone, my new has come!”
But this time, it was as if God put a new lens in front of my eyes as I read. These verses weren’t about me anymore.
They were about men.
Men I distrust until they prove themselves trustworthy. Men who instill fear in me. I’m cynical about them, no matter what strength of character they’ve shown. I’m holding my breath until they leave the room. I’ve built a Great Wall of China between me and them. They’re arrogant and angry and cold. It’s too risky to let them anywhere near me.
…and that applies to almost every man I meet.
Including the men of B-Squad.
It’s been beautiful to watch those relationships begin to transform over the last 6 months – the Great Wall of China has been taken down.
But there’s still at least an electric, barbed-wire fence.
And then this verse tells me: “from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view.”
The world first taught me to be fearful, cynical, and guarded.
Regard no one from this point of view?
No – if any of them is in Christ, their old has gone, their new has come.
It’s not fair of me to regard my Christian brothers in this way.
The barbed wire I thought was wise is, in fact, misplaced.
Some men of B-Squad
(Photo credit – Hagen Fulford)
In Thailand, I sat down next to the clotheslines, ready to read John 9. (I’m already familiar with the stories from chapters 1 – 8…) I found that “John 8” was stuck in my head. But I already know that story, I wanted to move on and read John 9.
“John 8, John 8, John 8” played like a broken record in my brain. FINE. I will read John 8, and then move on to 9…
“The Adulterous Woman.”
I pictured the scene.
A jostling crowd of angry men, stones held tight in their hands. Jesus, gazing at the accused. And, having just been pushed to the center of the circle, an adulterous man.
The image hit me like a slap in the face.
We’ve become more compassionate towards women stuck in sexual sin:
“She’s trapped, confused, looking for love and affirmation in all the wrong places – she just needs Jesus. She needs to know her worth, her infinite value in the eyes of her Maker.”
But take a man caught in sexual sin. A politician regularly cheating on his wife with interns. A college student addicted to porn. Anything.
“What a sick jerk. You’d better stay away from him.”
I don’t think Jesus’ reaction would have been different if a man were standing in front of him, instead of a woman. His response to the man wouldn’t have been disgust or judgment. It would still have been compassion. Protection. Forgiveness.
“Neither do I condemn you. Go now and sin no more.”
I can’t remember the last time I was challenged to treat men differently. But God seems to be Not Ok with the electric, barbed-wire fences I’ve put up against His sons.
Help me take them down, Lord?
