FRIDAY AUGUST 6 - LOVE WINS

 FRIDAY, AUGUST 6TH, 2021

LOVE WINS

Around us is a sinful and fallen world.  I was in an online discussion with friends today about a Christian musician who seemingly has had extramarital affairs.  We’ve heard for many years about clergymen (and probably clergywomen), who abused children sexually.  

One friend said the musician’s works should be taken out of common Christian documents (that is, hymnals, songbooks, and anyplace else where the musician’s works might be available.

I don’t know the musician personally, but I have heard and sung some of his hymns. 

Recently, I “read” (listened to the audiobook) of “Unconditional” by Brian Zahnd.  He gives some amazing stories of forgiveness.  One story was about Corrie Ten Boom - whose family sheltered Jewish from the Nazis in World War II.   She and her sister were taken to a concentration camp, where they had to parade naked before the guards.  She talked of one especially cruel guard.  Her sister died in that concentration camp - and this guard was directly or indirectly involved (such as beatings, starvation, brutality).  

Corrine wrote that she was speaking about forgiveness when this guard showed up at one of her talks.  He asked her for her forgiveness.  It was hard for her to do, but she did forgive.

I don’t know if that guard did suffer any consequences from his work.  There seem to be two sides to this issue - the personal side - should I forgive/can I forgive; and the societal side - assigning appropriate punishment to the individual (such as jail time or even death).  

I remember Jesus’ words from the cross “Father forgive them, they don’t know what they are doing”.  I wonder if I had been there in the crowd, would I have screamed “CRUCIFY HIM” like the others?  

I am currently listening to “The Shack” (for maybe the sixth or seventh time).  If you are not familiar with the book, a father took his family on a camping trip, and a person kidnapped his youngest child, abused her, and killed her.  And, in the story, the God figure asks the dad if he wants to be the judge and sentence the man to hell.  The man really wants to punish the man for the despicable act, but eventually learns that God is the judge, not man, and God’s ways and not our ways.

The last few months have been times of struggling with forgiveness.  Can I forgive those that may or may not have hurt me?  Can I be unconditional in my love?  I write “Love wins” - but do I really mean it, and really live it?  (Yes, I’m a work in progress).

I get to choose.  Really my whole life is a series of choices.  I can choose to be happy or sad; free or depressed, and to forgive or not to forgive.  My research suggests that not forgiving becomes a life of pain and holding on to negative things can shorten my own life!!

For those that know me, I’m trying to love, I’m trying to forgive - and doing with without any conditions. But, FOR ME, it is a necessary action to get to inner peace, to reach self-love, and to be authentic.

Have I messed up?  (Only a couple of billion times).  1 Peter 4:8 "Love covers a multitude of sins”; Proverbs 10:12 “Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers all transgressions.”

Maybe, eventually, I’ll really love!!!

HUGS!!

Karen