What would have been different in her response to a suit and tie had she forgiven those who had judged her for dressing casually? Instead, she had condemned the people who had condemned her.
Then spewed the un-forgiveness onto her new pastor.
Reflecting on this story, has granted me fresh insight into why there is so much dissension in our country and in our churches. There is a word missing in the wrongs being addressed. It is a word for our times...a word for the day.
The word is: forgiveness.
Our culture is suffering the brutal consequences of widespread un-forgiveness.
Black and white
Left and right
Straight and gay
Male and female
Parent and child
Faithful and faithless
We are angry, bitter people; spewing out of our wounded beings and limited perceptions of God, distorted views on justice and love.
We all carry mantles as a way of sharing His Kingdom in this world. And with them often a sense of moral superiority. The causes of our day weigh on us: The refugee, the single-mom, the unborn baby, the poor, the sick, the widow, the neglected, the orphaned, the enslaved...
Does God call us to address injustice? Absolutely. As He does.
Is anger a motivating force that propels us into action, yes! As He is.
BUT
His anger serves to address the wrong for the purpose of restoring relationship...always.
And could any relationship be more devastated than the one between rebellious, sinful man and a Holy, perfect God?
Is there any greater line of distinction than Creator and created?
Jesus walked about, addressing the wrongs of His day...but ALWAYS for the sake of pointing people to His Father, to relationship with Him; NOT simply to relieve their suffering. Any believer must admit the power of suffering in leading us to Him...He is the only One able to fix all that is wrong through relationship with our Father in Heaven, through His sacrifice and victory and by the power of His Spirit.
So true, we think we understand but we do not understand...none of us fully understands.
What would be different if we introduced ourselves to the thought..."I might not fully understand"!
What would be different if we forgave those who have caused pain by their lack of understanding and by twisted perceptions of godliness, as we ourselves most assuredly have?
WHO AM I TO SAY?**
If men may wander
from their homes
and leave a wife
and children prone
to borrow, beg and steal...
who am I to say?
If wives, alone are
left to fend
and spend their time
with other men
whose wives are left as well...
who am I to say?
If children left to
raise themselves
and entertain
with lusts un-shelved
a fading, starving soul...
who am I to say?
If those who lead in
office, grand
with gross resource
at their command
wield their vice with heavy hand...
who am I to say?
If someone's wid'ning
emerald eyes
feast upon
another's prize-
to glut and then reclines...
who am I to say?
If enemies swing
guns and swords
believing
they've divine support
to fight and maim and kill...
Who am I to say?
If all that's in a
hidden muse
Reeks rancid
poison to infuse-
blotting beauty from the world...
Who am I to say?
But there is One who may.
His heart was and is always for the sake of ALL...the sinning and the sinned-against, the oppressed AND the oppressor.
God does not wear a t-shirt spouting love for all on the front...and picturing a dissenter hanging from a noose on the back.
Could it be that in addressing what we define as hateful and judgmental, we are guilty of judgment and hatred?
It seems to me, that whatever political, spiritual or social side we find ourselves fighting, we are often fighting out of un-forgiveness.
As a result, no matter how good we believe our cause or how just our mantle, without forgiveness, we do NOT represent our Father, and we will ultimately NOT do good in this world.
*Story from Matt Chandlers video series "To Live is Christ"
**JCarnuccio 3/2015
