Well before I begin this post I'd like to say I'm not perfect. I fall sometimes and can't get back up on my own. Jesus is not my crutch to get through the hard times, He's my Life. I know it's hard to do some of the things I talk about in this post, but We are called to do nothing less than Jesus did for us. Yeah I know ouch, it is a had thing to swallow. But if we pray for eachother and for His strength, we'll make it through.
I remember a 4-year-old me being at Sears on September 11th 2001, the day the Word Trade Center Towers crashed to the earth, shattering thousands of lives. We were in the tool section of our local Sears, I remember this only because it was my least favorite section of the entire store. I still remember seeing the plane crash into the first tower on a TV screen. I didn't understand that people were dying and souls were being lost, the only thing I knew was that it was bad. We rushed home listening to the radio the whole way.
Recently the National Geographic Channel has had several 9/11 specials on TV, and now that I'm older I understand and I hurt for the ones who died and the ones who lost loved ones. It was while watching one of these specials I suddenly became angry. I was angry at the people who ruthlessly destroyed thousands of lives without a second thought. But then like a quiet whisper, I was reminded to forgive. How can I forgive those who killed out of hatred and pure malice? How is that humanly possible? The answer is simple, it's not. You can never forgive someone like that, never. Not by yourself, you can't.
You see Jesus loved us so much He let Himself be butchered for our sakes. He died for me. A filthy heap of worthless rubbish. Someone who didn't understand sacrifice, let alone even care. Someone full of a rotting, deformed soul. The questions "How?" and "Why?" still linger , and as far as I'm concerned, forever will. How could the Maker of the stars love a filthy rotting corpse, like me? Because He's God. And only God can do that. He picked us up and dusted us off and made us shine like a precious gem. Something we didn't deserve. That's called Grace. We deserved to stay in our heap of rubbish, we deserved to die. But someone who understood sacrifice paid the price. I find that astounding. Even a little sick, I mean why would someone who was absolutely perfect die for a filthy piece of trash like me?
"Why you would live someone like me is a mystery" - Tenth Avenue North - Beloved
I know I may be pushing it a little bit, when I say we should love the ones responsible for the murder of over 3,000 people. Especially when I didn't know any of those who lost their lives. But we have to, if we don't forgive them it will destroy us. It will eat at us and make us absolutely miserable. Though how can we accomplish such a great feat of forgiveness if it is not humanly possible? Through God's Grace. The very same grace that was given to us. Why should we keep that Grace for ourselves only?
"The Father gave the Son, The Son gave the Spirit, The Spirit gives us life So we can give the Gift of love" - And The Gift Goes On
You see if we never share this "Gift", how can we ever hope to accomplish anything as the Body?
"But if we are the Body Why aren't His arms reaching? Why aren't His hands healing? Why aren't His words teaching? And if we are the Body Why aren't His feet going? Why is His love not showing them there is a way? Jesus paid much too high a price For us to pick and choose who should come And we are the Body of Christ" - Casting Crowns - If We Are The Body
You see we are meant this Grace, Gift, Love. So tell me if we hold it in, what good are we, as the Body, doing? I believe we as Christians, and members of the Body, should make it a point to Forgive those who don't deserve it, to Love those who have never been loved, and give the Gift of Grace. Let's all ask Jesus to give us the Grace to Forgive the Unlovely. With God's Grace let's change this once tragic day into a day of Love, Joy, and Hope!
2 comments:
Thanks for this post Liz. I know it's not easy to say things like this, especially not as an American. But the whole world was affected by this day (which I remember all too well, being already in highschool).
Your post reminds me of these words of Jesus - and this attitude comes with a blessing:
"But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them.Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you.
“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful." Luke 6:27-36
Thank you Ajjie. I realize it is a rather ambitious thing, Forgiveness. It's not easy. But it is greatly needed in our world today. I guess it's something I'm kinda passionate about. I know this a kind of serious post, especially for me, but this is how I think and how I want to live, for Jesus.
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