Wednesday October 23, 2013; Jeremiah 50: 6-7 My people have been lost sheep; their shepherds have led them astray, turning them away on the mountains; from mountain to hill they have gone, they have forgotten their fold. All who found them have devoured them, and their enemies have said, “We are not guilty, because they have sinned against the Lord, the true pasture, the Lord, the hope of their ancestors.” God never promised that our lives were going to be filled with fairness...our world is broken by sin and often seems very unfair; the innocent suffer and the corrupt seem to thrive, and justice seems to go by the wayside. However, God is just, and wise, and even when it seems as if God is absent, the grace of God still surrounds us always…as God weeps for all the innocent who suffer, offering them comfort and love, and the hope of Christ, which is alive and active in the world. God’s great compassion and love for us may not always be easy for us to see, but it is always with us, and is all the more evident at times when the fact that God does not always act in fairness works in our favor: when God’s compassion and love supersedes fairness; and we, as sinners…as humans, are spared the punishment we may deserve for the our sins, and are instead forgiven. The ultimate example of God’s love and compassion to us is Christ, who was given to us as a gift from God to save us from our sins, to heal the broken relationship between humanity and God, and to inspire all who follow him to speak out and take action against injustice throughout the world, as well as right where we are. I believe that Christ was given to us because God knew we could never be good enough on our own…the demand was just too great for us to bear, and we have fallen short time and time again; therefore God showed us compassion, by offering us forgiveness…freeing us to be able to do the good that is within us. As followers of Christ, we are called to share this compassion with others…to remember that our children are still new people on the planet, and have a lot to learn. Even our children are not acting in the most endearing manner as parents and as followers of Christ we are still called to forgive, to teach, to guide and to love them…even if it does not seem fair…even when they have hurt us deeply, even if we don’t always want to. Sharing this compassion with our children, and with others (even those who have hurt us), has the power to heal broken relationships, and bring us closer together; it also helps to prevent any minor slight from becoming a major blow-up. While forgiving someone does not say that what happened between you is now okay and acceptable, but it is a way of telling our children, and others that THEY are still acceptable to us, still loved and valued, as children of God. Let us Pray God, thank you for not always being fair, for not punishing us for our sins but forgiving us for falling short of your commands. Thank you for the lessons we have learned from our mistakes and your compassionate response to our prayers. Please help us to show this same compassion to our children and to others in our lives, by sharing the gift of grace which you have given to us in Christ. Amen
Posted on: Wed, 23 Oct 2013 06:14:01 +0000
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