ugliness of soul
threatens me not
from without
but from within
consuming
beauty
The invitation of hatred and anger is to
participate in hatred and anger. The
bully can only invite us to hate the bully in return.
To whine bitch and complain is so
enticing. The stating of my litany of what
is wrong so appealing. To become enraged
at injustices in life is intoxicating. I
grow tired of the noise of my own mouth.
Jesus
said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are
doing."
I believe that the original sin, that which
condemns me, is the act of judging.
Before the fall we were without shame.
When we learned to judge, the fruit of knowledge of good and evil, we
lived in shame.
You,
therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at
whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who
pass judgment do the same things.
It matters not what the point of judgment
is – I am the least qualified to decide what is sinful and deserving of
judgment – by that action I condemn myself.
A play on words? To condemn
others for the wrongs they have done only condemns myself to the madness of
judging – once I start I cannot stop.
"If
your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two
of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.
We live in a world that has as its default
response to life being judgment and anger.
We have established principalities and powers that scrutinize for fault
and blame. Our addiction to judgement
and punishment goes unchecked. If my brother
sins against me I am to shout my condemnation from the rooftops.
Do
not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be
condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
Jesus taught us that in our actions to each
other that we were doing it to him. We
are referred to as the body of Christ – to judge you is to judge myself, to
care for you is an act of self nurturing, to love you is to love myself.
I have to little to offer in the way of
advice. I am not good servant, nor a
good steward. As Jesus prays I
dream. But I do know this…
But
small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find
it.
I pray my friend that you find it – my hope
rests with that.
grace cross revealed
compassion – co passion
saved I am
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