When life looks bad. When it appears evil is winning. What do you say?
I've come to know kids who know more violence then love, who are only spoken at with put downs, hear shouting matches between their parents (or the more likely between abusive lovers), who play games of criminal arrests, and draw pictures of guns, explosions, and casualties of war. Truthfully though, "know" is used loosely. I missed out on a couple weeks with these kids and was quickly told "you don't know me."
Then the truth of what I do not see causes my heart to ache. Thank you 5 year old for imparting your wisdom on me and for putting me in my place. I do not know you and I apologize in the inadequate attempts I make to fix this accusation. I apologize for the times I've kept you at arms length as well and left you to your own observations on my life. I pray you see love, grace, and welcome you into community. I pray you stripe down my own walls.
I work with prostitues and drug addicts and those that are falsely accused of both. I work amongst the affects of brokeness, have failed to be an advocate far to often, wrongly consider myself elite and acted as judge more times then I would like to recall.
What do you say, when it appears evil is winning? in the lives around me? in my own life? when brokeness is too well known?
"In the face of the oppressed I recognize my own face, in the hands of the oppressor I recognize my own hands. Their flesh is my flesh, Their blood is my blood, their pain is my pain, their smile is my smile" (Henri Nouwen).
Father, give me your eyes. Let me see your children. Stripe away the social class eyes, the past, the visible and hidden sins, the eyes that only see the physical outside appearance, the eyes who act as judge. Let me see them as they are. For they are YOURS. Let me be a recipient of your grace. A giver/a conduient of your scandalous grace. Father give me your eyes from here on out, because a second just isn't long enough.
What do you say?
I don't know.
Possibly all you can say is….
"Come Lord Jesus, COME!"
Ps 83
Pastor Mark hit on the nail today if you got time listen"Please, God don't be silent" @ http://www.yourchurch.com/sermons/sunday-message/
