As I write this, I look out my office window to a grey, dreary, rainy morning. It is late May. The last rain for the season should have been behind us by now. Instead of sunny skies and warm air, I’m wearing a sweater and wishing I had remembered an umbrella.
Life is sometimes like that. We get our hopes up for brighter days, but the rain keeps coming.
Sometimes life itself feels dreary and drab – like we’re on a perpetual subway far beneath the ground, way below those places where life is actually happening. We’re just moving along, perhaps without thinking about it, adopting our surroundings, our pace, our limited scenery, our moving from here to there as “normal.” We look around and see everybody else doing the same, and it confirms our conclusion that our subway-ride life is to be accepted and continually anticipated as simply “the way it is.”
The Bible even starts this way. In the beginning, the earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. Dark, dreary, and drab. That was normal.
But it didn’t stay that way.
The reason it didn’t stay dark, dreary and drab was because in the beginning, God was there. In the midst of the darkness, the Spirit of God was hovering. Because of the creative presence of God, that dreary beginning exploded into new life where light, color, plants, flowers, animals, sea life, birds, and humanity all came to life. God did that with the dreary and drab. The hovering Spirit of God changed everything. Normal got a new definition.
The Spirit of God always does that. Being the God of redemption and restoration we know of in the Bible, the Spirit is always at work creating and recreating where the drab and dreary are found.
The Spirit of God whispered to Noah that a flood was coming that would destroy all that was drab and dreary, but that life could go on if he would take heed and trust God’s leadership. A new normal was possible.
The Spirit whispered to Abram to leave the drab and dreary hopeless normalcy to begin a new chapter for humanity marked by life and blessing instead of fear and curse. A new day and a new normal.
The Spirit whispered and wrestled with Jacob, drawing him away from the “normal” patterns of life that had hurt him severely. In contrast, the life God had for him was one teeming with life and hope. A new normal.
The Spirit led Joseph to become Egypt’s second-in-command, which served to rescue Israel and countless others from the drab and dreary peril of famine. A new normal.
The Spirit led Moses, generations later, to lead the people of Israel out of drab and dreary slavery, all the way to the Promised Land. A new normal.
The Spirit whispered to Elijah when all he could see was drab and dreary political terror. The news? He wasn’t as alone as he thought. There was real hope because the Spirit was at work. A new normal.
Ezekiel was given a vision from God about what the Spirit wanted to do with everybody stuck in the death-grip of the drab and dreary. Just as in the beginning, God wants to create life in full color where grey, lifeless death has taken root. A new normal for any who would embrace it.
Jesus entered the scene, proving in word and deed that he was God walking around, and limited only by his flesh. He taught “life” in a whole new way. And he promised that when he went back home, he would leave his – God’s – Spirit with us, in us, so that the creative, redemptive work would continue to give us a new normal throughout our lives. The very day of his resurrection, he breathed on his disciples the breath of God – the Spirit – and they received what he promised (John 20:19-23).
Since then, beginning with those first few who sought to Go Be Jesus, the Spirit has been at work doing amazing large-scale works of restoration and incredibly subtle acts of redemption. For those who breathe the Breath, a new normal ensues.
I think we need to renew normal.
The Spirit of God is blowing as strong as ever; with power enough to help us live beyond the drab and dreary subway existence so common, so normal. The Breath is still coming to us from God to fill our lungs and life with vitality. An ancient, eternal work of God which defined normal in the beginning, ready to be adopted anew for those willing to see, hear, feel, taste, and heed the call to renew normal. Individually. As community.
May you, therefore, wake up from your respective level of slumber to the dawn of a new normal for your very life. May you choose full life with God in living color instead of simply passing time through the drab and dreary. May you do this by turning your attention toward God, asking for Breath, and choosing to breathe.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Lovely
Jesus wants us to follow in his footsteps, which sometimes leads to foot washing. Lovely.
But what does it mean to wash feet today in our Napa church context? Back in Jesus’ day, all manner or filth could be caked on a person’s feet after walking a day in open-toed sandals in streets with open-trench sewage. But in Napa, it is more likely that we may run across someone with some serious toe-jam, or ugly toenails, or maybe sort of stinky, needing a rinse. Unless we’re talking about a teenage boy. I’m not sure Jesus would have washed the feet of a present day teenage boy…
Foot washing in Jesus’ day was reserved for those on the lowest rung of the Jewish social ladder – Gentiles and slave women. It was simply the nastiest job. So, we’re looking for a nasty equivalent – something people don’t even want to do for themselves. Something they’d rather push on someone else that they don’t have to look in the eye for the shame it would cause.
Foot washing also served an obvious purpose – it cleaned a person’s feet. Everybody needed their feet washed. Jesus was doing something that needed to be done. Of course, he did performed this unforgettable teaching moment the very night he was betrayed, which led to a much greater act of sacrifice, and a much farther-reaching symbol of God’s grace, God’s forgiveness, God’s cleansing: the cross. So, we’re looking for a clean-up act, an act of redemption, an act of restoration.
A nasty job that we don’t wish on anyone that must be done for our own restoration.
Harry Smith had a colonoscopy on TV – maybe that’s what we’re looking for? I sure hope not…
I couple of years ago, I gave out a symbol of servanthood to a couple of key pastoral staff members: a toilet brush. I thought that was a pretty good equivalent for foot washing. I still think it’s pretty good for a generally disgusting task that nobody wishes on anybody else. But I don’t think it quite hits the mark.
Jesus’ foot washing (and later Passion) was more than something to check off the task list. These acts were representative of who he was, what he was about, and what he came to do. And, subsequently, what he calls us to become.
Jesus looked the disciples in the eye and did the thing they were in denial about needing done. They certainly didn’t ask him to do it. But they definitely needed it. They needed to be cleaned up if they were going to become who they were meant to be. It wasn’t going to happen without Jesus’ initiative, either. He had to step up, take the risk, make the sacrifice, pay the price, for the sake of the ones he wanted to redeem.
That’s the example that has been set to follow. Not just splashing some warm water an already clean feet in the churches of Napa. No, the way of Jesus has redemption in mind; a redemption that requires honesty and love and sacrifice for the sake of the other. It requires losing pride, giving up status, being a bigger person than before, and choosing to love in the way the other person needs to be loved more than demanding love for ourselves or only loving in ways we want to love.
Foot washing is having the tender conversation with someone we know is hurting, evidenced by a variety of destructive behavior including defensiveness, putting up walls, hurtful acts toward themselves, others, etc.
Foot washing is asking the questions that people may not initially elicit but are desperate to pursue.
Foot washing is listening – really listening – in a world that only wants to hear their own voice.
Foot washing is not settling for the appearances of holiness, but actually becoming more and more whole – for others and ourselves.
Foot washing is sacrificing a portion of our hard-earned money for the sake of the work of the Kingdom – the Church’s work – so that more and more might find the road to Life in Christ.
Foot washing is sacrificing personal preferences in order to reach others in ways they will understand that may be unfamiliar and perhaps even distasteful to us.
Foot washing doesn’t happen apart from community. You will never, ever reflect Christ in isolation. The solo Christian is an oxymoron. Washing the feet of a mannequin doesn’t count.
Foot washing requires practice. You need to practice on others. Others need to practice on you. The practice makes you more like Jesus. You become more whole, more loving, more like Christ. And people notice.
So, how are you going to follow Jesus in this regard? How are you going to wash someone’s feet?
It’s not a choice. It’s an order. And it’s lovely.
But what does it mean to wash feet today in our Napa church context? Back in Jesus’ day, all manner or filth could be caked on a person’s feet after walking a day in open-toed sandals in streets with open-trench sewage. But in Napa, it is more likely that we may run across someone with some serious toe-jam, or ugly toenails, or maybe sort of stinky, needing a rinse. Unless we’re talking about a teenage boy. I’m not sure Jesus would have washed the feet of a present day teenage boy…
Foot washing in Jesus’ day was reserved for those on the lowest rung of the Jewish social ladder – Gentiles and slave women. It was simply the nastiest job. So, we’re looking for a nasty equivalent – something people don’t even want to do for themselves. Something they’d rather push on someone else that they don’t have to look in the eye for the shame it would cause.
Foot washing also served an obvious purpose – it cleaned a person’s feet. Everybody needed their feet washed. Jesus was doing something that needed to be done. Of course, he did performed this unforgettable teaching moment the very night he was betrayed, which led to a much greater act of sacrifice, and a much farther-reaching symbol of God’s grace, God’s forgiveness, God’s cleansing: the cross. So, we’re looking for a clean-up act, an act of redemption, an act of restoration.
A nasty job that we don’t wish on anyone that must be done for our own restoration.
Harry Smith had a colonoscopy on TV – maybe that’s what we’re looking for? I sure hope not…
I couple of years ago, I gave out a symbol of servanthood to a couple of key pastoral staff members: a toilet brush. I thought that was a pretty good equivalent for foot washing. I still think it’s pretty good for a generally disgusting task that nobody wishes on anybody else. But I don’t think it quite hits the mark.
Jesus’ foot washing (and later Passion) was more than something to check off the task list. These acts were representative of who he was, what he was about, and what he came to do. And, subsequently, what he calls us to become.
Jesus looked the disciples in the eye and did the thing they were in denial about needing done. They certainly didn’t ask him to do it. But they definitely needed it. They needed to be cleaned up if they were going to become who they were meant to be. It wasn’t going to happen without Jesus’ initiative, either. He had to step up, take the risk, make the sacrifice, pay the price, for the sake of the ones he wanted to redeem.
That’s the example that has been set to follow. Not just splashing some warm water an already clean feet in the churches of Napa. No, the way of Jesus has redemption in mind; a redemption that requires honesty and love and sacrifice for the sake of the other. It requires losing pride, giving up status, being a bigger person than before, and choosing to love in the way the other person needs to be loved more than demanding love for ourselves or only loving in ways we want to love.
Foot washing is having the tender conversation with someone we know is hurting, evidenced by a variety of destructive behavior including defensiveness, putting up walls, hurtful acts toward themselves, others, etc.
Foot washing is asking the questions that people may not initially elicit but are desperate to pursue.
Foot washing is listening – really listening – in a world that only wants to hear their own voice.
Foot washing is not settling for the appearances of holiness, but actually becoming more and more whole – for others and ourselves.
Foot washing is sacrificing a portion of our hard-earned money for the sake of the work of the Kingdom – the Church’s work – so that more and more might find the road to Life in Christ.
Foot washing is sacrificing personal preferences in order to reach others in ways they will understand that may be unfamiliar and perhaps even distasteful to us.
Foot washing doesn’t happen apart from community. You will never, ever reflect Christ in isolation. The solo Christian is an oxymoron. Washing the feet of a mannequin doesn’t count.
Foot washing requires practice. You need to practice on others. Others need to practice on you. The practice makes you more like Jesus. You become more whole, more loving, more like Christ. And people notice.
So, how are you going to follow Jesus in this regard? How are you going to wash someone’s feet?
It’s not a choice. It’s an order. And it’s lovely.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Emotional
Jesus knew Lazarus died the very day he received word. He stayed for two more days doing ministry where he was. On the fourth day of Lazarus’ death, Jesus made his way to Bethany, and arrived to find everybody consumed by grief.
Day four was a particularly difficult day for our ancient Jewish ancestors. That was the day they believed death was final, with no hope of the person reviving.
The day when all hope was lost was the day Jesus – the hope of the world – came to town.
Before Jesus left to go to Bethany, he told the disciples that Lazarus’ sickness “would not end in death, but that it happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God will receive glory from this.”
So, when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead on the day when all hope was lost, that was a pretty impressive miracle.
When we consider miracles, we get lost in the wash of justice. We focus our attention on who gets a miracle and why, and how unfair it is that others don’t for unknown reasons. We focus on the miracle and its recipient. But that’s not where the focus is supposed to go.
The purpose of the miracle is to point to the miracle giver.
From that time forward until now through forevermore, when we face death, we can look at that event and realize that there is One who is bigger that all we fear. That One loves us. Desires to redeem us. Is a constant source of hope. Is forever.
So when you experience a miracle or hear of one, don’t get stuck on the why and why not. Look instead to the Giver, and give thanks.
Day four was a particularly difficult day for our ancient Jewish ancestors. That was the day they believed death was final, with no hope of the person reviving.
The day when all hope was lost was the day Jesus – the hope of the world – came to town.
Before Jesus left to go to Bethany, he told the disciples that Lazarus’ sickness “would not end in death, but that it happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God will receive glory from this.”
So, when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead on the day when all hope was lost, that was a pretty impressive miracle.
When we consider miracles, we get lost in the wash of justice. We focus our attention on who gets a miracle and why, and how unfair it is that others don’t for unknown reasons. We focus on the miracle and its recipient. But that’s not where the focus is supposed to go.
The purpose of the miracle is to point to the miracle giver.
From that time forward until now through forevermore, when we face death, we can look at that event and realize that there is One who is bigger that all we fear. That One loves us. Desires to redeem us. Is a constant source of hope. Is forever.
So when you experience a miracle or hear of one, don’t get stuck on the why and why not. Look instead to the Giver, and give thanks.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Blind
The man born blind in the story found in John 9 certainly had a tough hand to play. When people saw him, they saw a curse from God – somebody did something to cause this to happen to this someone. He probably got used to it – his blindness became a way of life. He would no doubt beg here and there for help. People knew him in the city – they saw him all the time, even if he couldn’t see them.
Jesus and the boys came along, and a discussion ensued about the origins of his blindness. It’s weird how people focus on blame – even the disciples. Perhaps it provides meaning on some level. I’m not really sure why, but I know we all do it. We need to understand how it all fits in order to make sense of our world.
In response, however, Jesus placed his focus elsewhere. This happened so the power of God could be seen in him… So, God is behind this after all?
I don’t think so. I don’t think God goes out of his way to create people broken so he can show off in healing them. What was Jesus talking about, then?
I think Jesus was purposeful in focusing on what could happen rather than getting nowhere with the “what caused this” questioning. He was focused on what was next instead of what was past.
Of course, Jesus was right – God was glorified – given praise and awe – as the man received sight for the first time. Nobody was asking the “who sinned” question in reference to the man born blind anymore. All the attention was focused on the who and how of the miracle.
The blind man, in a way, was given a strange gift when he was born. He knew exactly what his most obvious problem was – he couldn’t see! He probably didn’t spend a lot of time trying to guess what his deal was – the darkness before him answered that every moment of every day. When Jesus finally showed up, the guy didn’t fumble in his pockets looking for a list of things he wanted to ask God to do for him! He simply wanted to see.
The blind man had clarity.
Because of his clarity, he let Jesus smear spit-mud on his eyes (playing into some superstitious beliefs of the people), and followed Jesus’ instructions. He did what Jesus said, because he knew what he needed Jesus to help him with, decided he was worth believing in, and put his feet to work in getting to that pool/well. Harkening back to the story of Jesus and Nicodemus in John 3, this guy was aligned – he had mental clarity in believing in Jesus, he obviously trusted him enough o do the spit-mud thing, and followed up with behavior. What happens when these three become aligned? Eternal life, salvation, healing. And it did.
Sometimes when we see people born with struggles like this, we feel bad for them because of their limitations – limitations we think we may not have.
Maybe we’re wrong. Maybe we are the ones who are still blind while the blind guy sees clearly. Maybe we have grown accustomed to our adopted handicaps and settled with the idea that our lives are as good as it gets. Maybe those who are literally blind see right through us as we waste our potential on our recliners as we let Jesus come and go, come and go, come and go, not having a clue what to ask for, and not following his instructions if we dared ask for them.
It seems darkness, then, is a choice, and Light is before us.
May you choose Light. May you choose to see clearly your blind spots. May you have vision enough to ask God to heal your blindness. May you have insight to see what you can’t, so that you may know to ask for help, and receive it.
Jesus and the boys came along, and a discussion ensued about the origins of his blindness. It’s weird how people focus on blame – even the disciples. Perhaps it provides meaning on some level. I’m not really sure why, but I know we all do it. We need to understand how it all fits in order to make sense of our world.
In response, however, Jesus placed his focus elsewhere. This happened so the power of God could be seen in him… So, God is behind this after all?
I don’t think so. I don’t think God goes out of his way to create people broken so he can show off in healing them. What was Jesus talking about, then?
I think Jesus was purposeful in focusing on what could happen rather than getting nowhere with the “what caused this” questioning. He was focused on what was next instead of what was past.
Of course, Jesus was right – God was glorified – given praise and awe – as the man received sight for the first time. Nobody was asking the “who sinned” question in reference to the man born blind anymore. All the attention was focused on the who and how of the miracle.
The blind man, in a way, was given a strange gift when he was born. He knew exactly what his most obvious problem was – he couldn’t see! He probably didn’t spend a lot of time trying to guess what his deal was – the darkness before him answered that every moment of every day. When Jesus finally showed up, the guy didn’t fumble in his pockets looking for a list of things he wanted to ask God to do for him! He simply wanted to see.
The blind man had clarity.
Because of his clarity, he let Jesus smear spit-mud on his eyes (playing into some superstitious beliefs of the people), and followed Jesus’ instructions. He did what Jesus said, because he knew what he needed Jesus to help him with, decided he was worth believing in, and put his feet to work in getting to that pool/well. Harkening back to the story of Jesus and Nicodemus in John 3, this guy was aligned – he had mental clarity in believing in Jesus, he obviously trusted him enough o do the spit-mud thing, and followed up with behavior. What happens when these three become aligned? Eternal life, salvation, healing. And it did.
Sometimes when we see people born with struggles like this, we feel bad for them because of their limitations – limitations we think we may not have.
Maybe we’re wrong. Maybe we are the ones who are still blind while the blind guy sees clearly. Maybe we have grown accustomed to our adopted handicaps and settled with the idea that our lives are as good as it gets. Maybe those who are literally blind see right through us as we waste our potential on our recliners as we let Jesus come and go, come and go, come and go, not having a clue what to ask for, and not following his instructions if we dared ask for them.
It seems darkness, then, is a choice, and Light is before us.
May you choose Light. May you choose to see clearly your blind spots. May you have vision enough to ask God to heal your blindness. May you have insight to see what you can’t, so that you may know to ask for help, and receive it.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Not Today. Not Ever.
A passage of controversy... If you read John 8:1-11 in your own Bible, you will sometimes see a footnote somewhere around this passage saying something like this: The most ancient Greek manuscripts do not include John 7:53-8:11. This passage of scripture almost didn't make it into the final cut. The reason it almost didn't qualify has nothing to do with its historical validity. The tension was related to the order of events in the story. Aside: the fact that the story went in "as is" gives testimony to the Bible's authenticity. It would have been easier to modify the story to suit the needs of the leaders who recognized its difficulties - but that would have been changing what really happened, and would cause us to question the integrity of the words we read.
When was forgiveness granted? The big problem with this text is that Jesus exonerated her before she confessed anything, and before she gave any indication of repentance. She was forgiven before she said she was sorry, and before she asked for mercy. This is deeply troubling for most people, because we only want to consider offering forgiveness if it's being asked for - or in some cases begged for. We treat forgiveness like a precious commodity - because it is - and therefore we don't give it away freely. So, we are careful who we entrust with forgiveness. Often, the person we consider forgiving has to prove themselves worthy of the gift. They have to look, sound, and act really sorry - then we'll forgive. Maybe they should do something extra nice for us before we extend grace - wash my car, perhaps...
Our high value of forgiveness causes us to quickly think about justice - who deserves to be forgiven, and when. How much time should a person serve before we let them off the hook? Depends on the level of pain they caused us, perhaps. If my wife laughs at my dream of one day singing on stage with Bono, I'll grant forgiveness pretty quickly. But if she eats my last fry at lunch - could be weeks...
Jesus messes up entirely by forgiving before it was requested or could even be assumed to be desired. Maybe the crowd was throwing him off that day? Probably not. The reality is that the woman was forgiven - no longer condemned - before she asked, before she knew she needed to ask, before she was caught, before the act happened (when it was just an idea). Forgiveness is simply there. Eternal. Abundant. Limitless. Can't be trumped. That's why it didn't matter if she asked for it ahead of time. Her penitence - or lack thereof - did not affect God's grace toward her. Connect the dots: God's forgiveness of your stuff is not affected by your confession or failure to confess. It simply is.
Motivation. Could it be that there is a deeper implication here? To be forgiven ahead of time changed the very motivation of everything that would come next in her life. If forgiveness simply is, then she no longer could be motivated by fear of retribution from the hands of an angry God. Additionally, when Jesus instructed her to leave her life of sin, the motive to follow had to have shifted. Where once she may have been motivated to live ethically out of fear of reprisal if she didn't, now she knows better. Why should she stop her adulterous lifestyle if she will be forgiven yet again? What's the new motivation if not fear of condemnation?
Writing in the dirt. Lots of debate has gone on about what Jesus was writing in the dirt that day. There have been many suggestions. Whatever he was doing caused the crowd to leave their stones behind and walk away. I don't know the exact words he wrote, but I think he communicated one simple idea: love.
Love forgives a mob wanting to take justice into their own hands, calms them down and sends them home. Love overwhelms the angry jealousy of religious leaders who use people to make a point. Love causes people to see themselves - and others - differently. Love seeks to restore - not rip apart. Love motivates love. Love begets love. Love leads to more love.
When love was communicated, hate dissolved. Swords were turned into plowshares. Humility replaced pridefulness. Instead of death being celebrated, life was lifted up for everyone.
New Direction. The woman that day had her life turned around by love. She discovered a God that loved her simply because God loves. She was forgiven simply because God is a forgiver. In the fullness of such an experience of love and the life it brings, it is extremely unlikely that she went right back to a life of destruction. She was motivated by something much more powerful than fear. Her new motivation would call her to the highest ethic, the deepest humility, and the biggest heart.
Forgiveness, confession and repentance. To confess means to agree with whatever is being said about you. When we confess our "junk" with God, we are agreeing with God about the fact that we have junked up our lives - stuff God already knows about. To repent means to turn around. When we repent before God, we are saying to God that we want to change our direction toward God. At least for me, I do not really experience the loving forgiveness of God prior to my confession. And I don't experience God's support of my new behavior until I turn it around and start moving in God's direction. In other words, even though the love and grace are there, they have no power in my life until I embrace them. God is all about restoring us. God has given us all the grace and power and love we need - and it won't ever be retracted. The question is, will we embrace that which God has given, motivated by love and for love, and then live more fully restored?
Think...
When was forgiveness granted? The big problem with this text is that Jesus exonerated her before she confessed anything, and before she gave any indication of repentance. She was forgiven before she said she was sorry, and before she asked for mercy. This is deeply troubling for most people, because we only want to consider offering forgiveness if it's being asked for - or in some cases begged for. We treat forgiveness like a precious commodity - because it is - and therefore we don't give it away freely. So, we are careful who we entrust with forgiveness. Often, the person we consider forgiving has to prove themselves worthy of the gift. They have to look, sound, and act really sorry - then we'll forgive. Maybe they should do something extra nice for us before we extend grace - wash my car, perhaps...
Our high value of forgiveness causes us to quickly think about justice - who deserves to be forgiven, and when. How much time should a person serve before we let them off the hook? Depends on the level of pain they caused us, perhaps. If my wife laughs at my dream of one day singing on stage with Bono, I'll grant forgiveness pretty quickly. But if she eats my last fry at lunch - could be weeks...
Jesus messes up entirely by forgiving before it was requested or could even be assumed to be desired. Maybe the crowd was throwing him off that day? Probably not. The reality is that the woman was forgiven - no longer condemned - before she asked, before she knew she needed to ask, before she was caught, before the act happened (when it was just an idea). Forgiveness is simply there. Eternal. Abundant. Limitless. Can't be trumped. That's why it didn't matter if she asked for it ahead of time. Her penitence - or lack thereof - did not affect God's grace toward her. Connect the dots: God's forgiveness of your stuff is not affected by your confession or failure to confess. It simply is.
Motivation. Could it be that there is a deeper implication here? To be forgiven ahead of time changed the very motivation of everything that would come next in her life. If forgiveness simply is, then she no longer could be motivated by fear of retribution from the hands of an angry God. Additionally, when Jesus instructed her to leave her life of sin, the motive to follow had to have shifted. Where once she may have been motivated to live ethically out of fear of reprisal if she didn't, now she knows better. Why should she stop her adulterous lifestyle if she will be forgiven yet again? What's the new motivation if not fear of condemnation?
Writing in the dirt. Lots of debate has gone on about what Jesus was writing in the dirt that day. There have been many suggestions. Whatever he was doing caused the crowd to leave their stones behind and walk away. I don't know the exact words he wrote, but I think he communicated one simple idea: love.
Love forgives a mob wanting to take justice into their own hands, calms them down and sends them home. Love overwhelms the angry jealousy of religious leaders who use people to make a point. Love causes people to see themselves - and others - differently. Love seeks to restore - not rip apart. Love motivates love. Love begets love. Love leads to more love.
When love was communicated, hate dissolved. Swords were turned into plowshares. Humility replaced pridefulness. Instead of death being celebrated, life was lifted up for everyone.
New Direction. The woman that day had her life turned around by love. She discovered a God that loved her simply because God loves. She was forgiven simply because God is a forgiver. In the fullness of such an experience of love and the life it brings, it is extremely unlikely that she went right back to a life of destruction. She was motivated by something much more powerful than fear. Her new motivation would call her to the highest ethic, the deepest humility, and the biggest heart.
Forgiveness, confession and repentance. To confess means to agree with whatever is being said about you. When we confess our "junk" with God, we are agreeing with God about the fact that we have junked up our lives - stuff God already knows about. To repent means to turn around. When we repent before God, we are saying to God that we want to change our direction toward God. At least for me, I do not really experience the loving forgiveness of God prior to my confession. And I don't experience God's support of my new behavior until I turn it around and start moving in God's direction. In other words, even though the love and grace are there, they have no power in my life until I embrace them. God is all about restoring us. God has given us all the grace and power and love we need - and it won't ever be retracted. The question is, will we embrace that which God has given, motivated by love and for love, and then live more fully restored?
Think...
- Why might some people be bothered by the idea that the woman was forgiven before she repented?
- Why might some people be bothered by the idea that God forgives people of their sin before they ask for it?
- Why wouldn't people simply keep on engaging in all sorts of sinful behavior if they knew they were forgiven?
- Why would anybody need to accept Jesus if forgiveness was already granted?
- Why bother with faith at all if God grants grace ahead of time, independent of our desire, actions, or inclinations?
- What is the purpose of faith?
- What is the reason for forgiveness?
- What is the value of confession?
- What is the result of repentance?
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