Anyone who has interacted with the legal system knows frustration. People who are being held accountable for breaking the rules are interacting with people breaking rules. The entire time my son was involved in the legal system he (and we by extension) dealt with being told one thing only to have an entirely different thing happen. One time some kind of problem lead to him arguing with the person who came to remove his ankle bracelet because he was only half way through the term of confinement. 

And that is mild compared to changes in places of incarceration at unexpected times, erratic health care, lack of literacy programs and other training that can help equip these men and women for productive lives as parents, citizens and employees in the free world. Additionally, wildly divergent sentencing too often seems to depend on the sense of well-being of a judge or the re-election schedule of the prosecutor or the level of attention achieved by the defense attorney. And that does not even take into consideration false accusations leading to expensive trials and mangled reputations and even improper incarceration. 

But to understand the larger picture we need to consider some data:

1980 Federal prison population    21,000
2015 Federal prison population   222,000 or more than 10 times more

1980 USA population  226.5 million                      USA incarceration rate  .01%
2015 USA population  318.9 million                      USA incarceration rate  .07% is 7 times higher than 1980

And while all this cost is rising, the rate for major crime has been dropping for years.

And the cost to our country of all this is stunning: personal pain, live's derailed, disrupted families. Life is more dangerous and difficult for communities, law enforcement and prison staff. Even in just cold hard dollars this is obviously not working. Incarcerated people are not only expensive, they are not paying taxes and a criminal record does not improve employability so there will be fewer tax dollars and most costs to social service programs for years following incarceration.

Finally there has been a glimmer of light out of our nation's capital. The bipartisan Colson Task Force on Federal Corrections has been formed and J C Watts named chairman. The Prison Fellowship CEO (and the resources of Justice Fellowship) is a member along with a federal judge, a criminologist, a re-entry specialist and other stakeholders. The Prison Fellowship folks are praying. Please join us in praying for these folks as they seek to find better ways to conserve our most precious resource: our children who are paying the price for our fear and our stiff-necked approach of doing more of what does not work. 

An article on this program is available at http://www.prisonfellowship.org/2015/02/a-new-task-force-for-criminal-justice-reform/?spMailingID=10762776&spUserID=MTI0MjkyMzYyNTA3S0&spJobID=482069091&spReportId=NDgyMDY5MDkxS0

I've been reading about Jesus and his disciples crossing the Sea of Galilee. Jesus had been healing and preaching so he stretched out for a snooze as they began sailing across a body of water with a reputation for quickly rising and powerful storms. That is what happened on this night. The disciples, some of them experienced fishermen from the area, were well aware of the potential for disaster, and they were not only frightened but further distressed by Jesus calmly sleeping on as the little boat pitched and rolled. Here is what Mark 4* says happened next: 

The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?" He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!” 

I have to laugh. This is so me. I say, "Help! Help me! Hey, God, don't you see I'm in trouble here? Can I get a little help please." (To be fair too often my panic prayers sound more like this: "Hey God, please lead me to 7th and Vine by 2 PM next Tuesday and a taxi would be good. But I digress.) No doubt that when I am focused on my fears, perceived or real, I'm UPSET!

So God does something. And am I all saying: "Wow, God! Thank you, God! You are Mighty and Wonderful and...."? Well, no, I'm more like,  "Wow, that isn't exactly what I meant. I mean, can I get a do over? This has aspects I did NOT anticipate and really don't want to entertain!" OR I'm like, "Whoa! That is too big an answer! That was WAY too fast. Where are we going here, God?" I SO get the disciples. When I'm still all big-eyed and breathing heavy in the aftermath of big answered prayers, I want to say, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey Him!"

But then how amazing it is to have conversations with and a relationship with the God who even the wind and the waves obey. Because THAT, that Jesus, THAT is my God, my Savior, my Lord.

WOW!


*Mark 4: 35-41

It would be so nice if I could wipe out mistakes of my past. If my relationship with God could "fix" all the unfortunate consequences of past choices, that would be great. Then I would not be haunted by my lapses as a parent, a friend, a person. I would not look at someone else's pain and wonder how my mistakes added to his burden or her sad understanding of the world.

But this is not how things work for God, because God is bigger than all that. God can heal each of us and can even teach us how to let go of past errors, sins if you will, that have affect others. Otherwise when I fail to let that go I keep thinking I am God. God has a unique relationship with each of His children that is not dependent on the parent's behavior, choices or mistakes.

And God is faithful in taking the "all" of us, all our pain, all our fear, all our experiences good and bad, and using every bit of it to equip us for our work on Earth, to fulfill our purpose. Have I spoken spitefully? God can use me to gently share my understand of the price of spite. Have I failed to forgive? God can use me to preach forgiveness and reconciliation because of my deep understanding of the quick sand of hate and the joy of escaping. Have I been angry with God? God can use that to give me a special heart for the hurting and alienated. 

So, at least for today I will focus to the best of my ability on the steadfast love of God who sees not my sin and errors and mistakes which have been covered by the blood of Jesus, but instead sees my possibilities, the purpose for which I was created and the plan God has for me.

O, Spirit of God, teach me to trust in God's promises to love, guide, tend, restore and renew me. And thank You that all that is fully available to those I love without the need of any help from me. AMEN

Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for your goodness' sake, O LORD! Psalm 25:7

I struggle to be forgiving, when I am hurt, more when a loved one of mine is hurt. But here is the ultimate dilemma: If I hold anger and bitterness in my heart, what is the outcome for myself and those I love?

For myself, I limit God's access to my heart because the part holding bitterness and anger is opposed to all God is. I tell everyone in my family, church family, social circle and friends that I am willing to make my heart cold against them if they don't suit me. I teach hate. I grow hate. I defend hate. I embrace hate. I value hate more than love.

Oh, I can give you a 100 reasons and counting for hating, justifying my hate, nurturing my hate, encouraging hate in your life on my behalf. (How often does someone say, "I'm furious for with that person, I hate them, so would you please be extraordinarily kind to them so my hate is less likely to cause them harm, please.") In fact, as long as I feed that rage I will keep finding and inventing new reasons, even lie to justify my hate.

I have lived where hate destroyed family, marriage, home, parent-child relationships, church relationships, work relationships, neighborhood peace--all in the name of "I only what what is best for my family." IT IS NOT TRUE! This is the truth: it is selfish, ungodly, destructive and utterly without a single redeeming quality.

O Spirit of God, search my heart and remove any vestige of hate, self-righteousness or sense of superiority. Protect me against teaching, in any way, those I love to hate by my example, by encouraging their anger or by embracing their anger against another. Remove hateful words from my mouth, hateful thoughts from my mind and even the smallest participation in hatefulness toward any other person ever. AMEN

“I give you a new command: Love each other. You must love each other just as I loved you." John 13:34

When someone I love is struggling, it is hard to "let go and let God," to truly trust and not meddle.. Then sometimes God sends such amazing love into a situation that it is mind-blowing. This happened this week again in my life.

Someone chose to be affirming and kind, offering hope and practical assistance in a way that was so filled with love and so Jesus-like. There were no fireworks, no money changed hands, no professional skills were required, no person of authority attended. It was just one person meeting God in a transaction with two others. I don't even know the names of the folks who tended my beloved one. I can't even say thank you when all I want to do is send flowers with balloons and fresh backed bread and well, chocolate, of course. 

But all I can do is thank a generous God who reminded me again who is in charge of renewal, redemption and regeneration. And, maybe, I can be more aware this week of opportunities to reflect the same love, wisdom and kindness to a person or two I meet along the road.

And I can be and am so very grateful to Jehovah Jireh, the God who persistently and consistently reveals Himself as the God who provides.

I've been browsing for a Kairos weekend where I can sign up to pray for the team as they are preparing and for a specific time during the weekend where I can pray for the Women attending. The time slot is an hour. Really? I've worked up to being able to sustain 30 minutes of mostly focused prayer for Kairos and Emmaus weekends and as I felt the need to look today God sends me an hour? Wow!

But, then, I give so little time in the larger picture. I think nothing of vegging in front of the TV for an hour with something playing I don't even have any interest in. Maybe God is not asking so much after all. Maybe I'll even pass on a sitcom or two in the coming weeks as "training" for the hour event.

I know the women preparing for this event will welcome some serious praying for them and for the women who may not even know yet they are coming.

OK, between now and the April 12th slot, I am committed to support this team often so I'll be ready to pray for my slot without distraction.

Yup. I think this is going to be a good thing all around.

For information on Kairos opportunities check the "Resource Links" above or  click here: http://www.mykairos.org/directory5.html

I have a friend who is among the legion of families who will deal with the legal system tomorrow. Some have been harmed by the actions of another. Some are the family of the one who did the harm.

Won't you pray for them each and all tonight? For there are so many lives affected by each bad, impetuous act. We look at the situation and wonder why...why did someone lose their temper over such a small thing and the price be so stunning for dozens of people now hurting and uncertain what comes next....why was someone so careless with the life of another....why is the legal system so harsh in one instance and lenient in another....why did someone we love take so little care of their own safety...why did we all wind up in a court seeking to understand how to get through all this? 

Let's pray for a justice that speaks healing to the injured in this all too common drama. Let's pray that everyone involved chooses to find purposeful lives in the new normal. Let's pray that all can remember that God's love is big enough for every person involved in this situation. Let's pray that power, wisdom and mercy have proper place in the proceedings for the highest good of all involved. Let's pray that folks reach out to God for the patience, persistence and strength they need each morning and thank God for each blessing in the day, even the one's that don't feel like blessings yet.

God did not create us for despair, but our journey often has some incredibly hard and difficult days. Still God is with us at all times and in all places, ready to answer our prayer before it fully articulates in our minds or on our lips. God is not capricious and never lacks understanding or power or kind intent towards His children. He wants all to chose life, healing, renewal, restoration and hope. He even sends His Spirit to instruct us, empower us, inspire us to aspire to "more"....and that more is a relationship with the God who created us, and His Son whose blood covers us, cleanses us and heals our relationship with God.

Life certainly has it challenges. If I'm not worrying about those I love I'm fretting about myself. And when there are blessing poured out I start taking for granted that "now everything will be OK." even though I am plenty old enough to know the foolishness of that idea.

And, frankly, neither posture does me one bit of good. Sometimes I worry like God can't take care of my loved ones or my problems if I don't gnaw them to death, meddle and monitor. I'm much better off reminding myself to thank God upon every remembrance of those I love and saying, "I choose to trust you, God" when fear threatens to overwhelm faith. And when things are going well I do much better if I keep myself thanking and praising God for such days, knowing both that challenges will come again and that with each challenge will come God's grace to endure, grow and shine God's love onto each situation.

I don't know where we get the idea that we can worry a thing better, but it seems a core human fallacy. Trusting God to give us wisdom, strength and faith to make positive changes--that is something I can endorse and God can wear my body out with work, change and new challenges. But I stand with Kind David when he said: "Truly my soul finds rest in God.* 

So this is my prayer for us today: God of God and Lord of Hosts, let me work for You today by being Your hands and feet to comfort the lonely, feed the hungry, and console the grieving. Give me words of peace and hope for the fearful. And thank You, Lord, that you are teaching me to do this with peace in my heart and joy in my soul because You do the heavy lifting. AMEN

* Psalms 62:1

Coming from a liturgical church background the Lenten season has always held a special place in my heart. But it took living on the Gulf Coast to appreciate the whole Mardi Gras thing. So today I am remembering a lot of fun we have had over recent years as we learned to "Laissez les bons temps rouler!"* 

But still the main thing for me is the looking forward to the season of Lent, a season of thinking seriously about the blood offering of Jesus for my redemption.

As a child and into adulthood I often "gave up" chocolate. I had been carefully instructed that it was bad form to walk around with a sad face and proclaim to all how "good" I was being. But I did not always live up to that; too often I was more self-pity than selflessness! 

Some years ago I asked a friend if she wanted to go for decedent chocolate on Shrove Tuesday since I knew she also generally gave up chocolate--our shared addition. But she smiled and said,  "This year I'm giving up complaining about my most irritating relative. I think it might do me more good." That lead to new thinking on my part and eventually a slow change to a different approach.

This year I am going to spend the next 6 plus weeks of Lent seeking to rebuilt a spiritual habit that has slipped away from me in recent months. Maybe I'll be less cranky and more kind. (I've notices cranky and kind don't generally live in the same heart!) I've read that it takes 30 days to build a solid base for a new habit, so the 40 days of Lent seem to offer a good opportunity.

If you catch met being cranky you are welcome to call me on it. But I'm not saying anything else about this until after Easter!

God the Father, help us to commit time between now and Easter finding a new heart for learning more about you and new ways to serve others in your name. We ask by the Grace of the Spirit and in the name of our Savior, Jesus. AMEN

*Let the Good Times Roll!"

Much of my life I was quick to offer help in the way of advice. Slowly I learned more about how much I do not know and worked to adjust that. Now I'm trying to figure out if I have overshot and now seem distant to people who are actually asking me to share my perspective.

This seems to be a common condition for us human beings: we travel from one extreme to another. This is why my most fervent prayer is that God would keep me from causing harm through my ministry...the words on this blog and time spent with folks affected by incarceration. I am acutely aware of how fragile we all are. I long to offer new ways of thinking about situations that might encourage folks to embrace a more intentional relationship with the God who loves them. And I yearn to do this without my own limitations causing any additional harm to any of God's children.

So I understand Moses as related in Exodus 4:10-12: Moses said to the Lord, “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.” The Lord said to him, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.” 

So I ask you to bear me up in prayer that God will teach me what to say. Pray for those who are incarcerated and otherwise involved in the legal system, and for the people who love them. Pray for all who work to bring the Word of Truth to the hurting, the angry, the fearful, the lonely. We covet your prayers today and always.

I wish I could remember who told me years ago that churches and bars are the last, most persistent places of segregation. I suspect this is because people often spend time in those two places when they want to be "among their own," like minded folks who will not challenge them to consider changing. 

I'm much more frustrated by the first set of "stuck in the mire" folks, who I know are often in a position to be the hands and feet of God to folks who expect churches to be places to learn more about God. I don't have expectations of folks in bars, good and kind and well-intentioned folks though they may be. In my experience they are too often working way to hard at having a good time. But then I know folks like that at church too!

Sometimes I do wonder where Christ would have found the most receptive listeners if there had been bars and churches when he was walking this Earth. We know that the church people (known as Pharisees and Sadducees) not only harassed his followers but actually arranged His death. And we know that all kinds of folks from the terrifically ill to the well-educated, from laborers to centurions, men, women and children, Jews and Gentiles endured significant inconvenience and even danger to follow Him. 

So this is what I'm thinking about this: I think Jesus went (and wants us to go) wherever people are hurting, lonely, in pain, without hope, feeling unloved and unlovely. I think He wants us to be more worried about being tender with the least of these our brothers and sisters, who may be homeless or may be loveless in a mansion, than fixating on our own fears, limits and needs. Because when we treat others as we want to be treated ourselves the Spirit of God blesses us, speaks to us and encourages us to speak to Him.

It is a joyous journey.

Jesus said,"...I didn't come to invite good people to be my followers. I came to invite sinners. Mark 2:16b

The whole Valentines Day deal can be charming, passionate, embarrassing or perfectly painful, depending on the status of our social calendar, time of life, and the condition of our heart. And the worst part is that unfulfilled dreams, shattered expectations and unrequited longings often leave us wondering if we are just not good enough to sustain the "perfect love". 

While a little introspection to consider traits we would like to embrace or grow can be worthwhile, taking the opinion of another (who by necessity comes with his or her own baggage and biases) can add fuel to the flames of self-doubt.

So, just for today, give yourself a break. Make of list of moments of joy in your life and consider what parts of that can be woven into more of your days. Identify one thing that causes pain and work on eliminating that from your life. Just one, please. Just a small one to start, please. Celebrate each time you add a joy. Celebrate each time you choose not to shoot yourself in that particular foot again.

Write the perfect valentine to yourself, listing all your strengths and all the skills you are building. Don't worry about a wart here or there...we all have them even if some are more visible than others. A wart is not who you are, for goodness sake!

My darling, God sees how wonderfully you were made and the purpose for which you were born and the blood of His Son covers every imperfection. He longs to teach you to see yourself as God sees you -- amazing, utter loved and deserving of every good thing.

We have so much inappropriate shame floating around. I don't mean the "I steal office supplies from my company and I need to stop" kind of shame that comes as God nudges us to make better choices in our lives. And I do not mean the shame that moves us to make amends for pain our actions have caused others where we can make amends either to the one we harmed or by paying forward an offering of atonement to another suffering person.

And, although it is certain inappropriate shame, I'm not even referring to the shame related to what can happened to abuse, rape and incest victims whose lives can be short-circuited by the actions of others. And not even that utterly unhelpful shame for the actions of others that land them in legal trouble, a web of additions or just a life out of control.

What I mean is the kind of shame that is a slap in God's face: the clinging to a wrong already forgiven. 

Maybe the guilt is familiar. Maybe by clinging to the guilt we think can save ourselves the pain of moving forward. Maybe we embrace shame because it allows us to pose as "too unworthy" to do our part to make life better for someone else. But if you are struggling with this kind of self-destructive wallowing where you find yourself repeatedly throwing yourself one serious pity party after another, then I beseech you: STOP!  

Stand up, dust off your back side and find a way to make a positive difference in this world. Pray for the sad, lonely and hopeless folks whose lives touch ours everyday. We are all free to do that any time and any place.  If you can volunteer at a soup kitchen, call today to sign up. If you can contribute funds to someone working to aid the sad, lonely and hopeless in this world, research for a charity doing good work in this area and sent them some money--today. If you have to cut back off on spending for something that is really not good for you, so much the better. Slow down and look kindly at the faces you meet and offer a smile, a word of cheer.

There are thousands of acts of kindness, grand to tiny, that will bless you and someone else today. Look down at no one. Judge no one. Pray for each one and that your time together will be a blessing. Do more for people who can't give you anything back -- not gratitude or recognition or love -- than you do for family or friends or even acquaintances. Only discuss this kindness where necessary, lest you might loose some of the fun by getting a thank you!

It is the most freeing experiment I ever tried. As Shakespeare wrote "O, while you live, tell truth and shame the devil!" The truth is this: God's love is ever so much stronger than any error you ever made, any sin you ever committed, any wrong you have ever longed for God to forgive.

Ask God to help you---yes we are back to praying again.




But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. 1 John 1:7

When those we love are hurting it is so hard to offer comfort without trampling on toes and breaching healthy boundaries. Shall I mount my mighty steed, take up my lance and take on the big meanie? Will that make my loved one feel loved or incapable of taking care of themselves? Shall I sit quietly, listening and hoping I nod and respond in comforting ways? Will that be enough?

I do think big hugs are good. I think spending time together is good. And I do think a quiet confidence that things will get better and a commitment that no one is getting abandoned can help.

But in the end, only God knows exactly what we need, offers perfect healing and never errors in how comfort is provided. So I will continue to pray, thanking God for His availability that is constant, His covenants that are eternal, His love that covers us in love at all times and in all places.

And I'll keep praying I don't say or do anything that gets in the way, causes pain or offers an easy way out of a truly sad and hard spot. And I'll keep loving, keep offering my presence, keep in touch, keep respecting the tender spots and defending healthy boundaries, keep offering such comfort as seems appropriate and keep chocolate in my purse for emergencies. 

And I deeply thank God I'm not trying to do this on my own.

So often our desire to do the right thing is less passionate than the desire to feel safe. If I truly open my heart to you, will you belittle me, reject me, travel with me a little while then abandon me? Even in the "easiest lives" there is always loss -- expectations evaporate, health fails, death comes, jobs are lost and communities changed. Life never turns out as we expect and it takes a lot to get through.

In the midst of grief, loss and weakness, we WANT God's comfort, guidance and healing, but we can't even find the words to express the depth of our sorrow and despair, much less carefully worded, religiously structured forms of prayer. But, oh joy, oh joy, God says we absolutely don't have to. 

Think about this concept: Jesus sent the Spirit of God to know our deepest sorrows, understand with perfect clarity our most essential needs and no words are needed. All the heavy lifting is done by God, which is so amazing, because we do not have words or energy or understanding to even lift our eyes heavenward! But the Spirit of God, knowing our situation with more kindness and objectivity and power than we can even imagine, speaks for us to a God who already has a plan for an abundant and loving response to our needs.

Maybe you are uncertain of what name to use when speaking to a higher power, but "Spirit" is a place to start. But, in truth, if you just start talking to "Whoever is in charge" I am confident that God will teach you his name along with pouring hope and faith and love into your life in ways you can't even imagine right now.

I promise, you do not have to negotiate life's deepest sorrows alone. Won't you give it a try?

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. Romans 26-27

Earlier this year, actually two and a half weeks after Christmas a beautiful 14 year-old, flattered by the attention of an older teen was lured to her death. I don't suppose we will ever be able to understand this even as information and prosecution theories fill newspaper articles, TV news stories and the neighborhood grapevine. I am so sad for her family who are the latest to grieve the violent death of a child.

But I also look at the faces of the three young men who await trail and think, "What an appalling waste of four young lives and all four families facing a new normal forever, a neighborhood whose sense of safety will take a lot of healing, the school staff striving to help her classmates and each other try to make sense of the senseless, police officers and criminalists haunted by images of the violated child, attorneys on both sides struggling with the horrifying details as the case moves through the legal system, a jury required to experience a new level of horror, and then life behind bars for those found guilty.

One horrific act and hundreds of lives impacted and hearts broken, multiplied by a thousand lesser and greater criminal acts each year, year in and year out, age unto age. While we are bound to do all we can to make the world better, we have not made as much progress as most would like over the past 10,000 plus years.

But we are not without hope and healing even in the midst of chaos.  "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he saves those whose spirits are crushed." Psalm 34:18 

This is my prayer for us all tonight: Jehovah Japtha, our God who heals, for each person touched by the brokenness of the World, we implore You to heal scores of broken hearts and restore legions of crushed spirits. Whisper Your love into our ears and spread beauty before our eyes as we find our way in a world we did not expect and did not sign up for. Send us fellow travelers to bear our burdens with us and mentors to teach us discernment and Your Spirit to comfort us.  AMEN

What is the opposite of love? Some would say hate, but I believe it is fear.

There seem to be two camps in the battle for our culture at the moment: (1) If we are just nice, everybody else will be nice or (2) we must keep ourselves safe at all costs. The first is silly and the second invites self destruction. So what is the alternative?

God. God is the alternative. Our Creator, our Savior, our Guide is Love. God is love.* 

And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses human understanding—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3: 17b-19

There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear expects punishment. 1 John 4:18

What would happen if we turned our back on the magic thinking that says we can find safety either in happy thoughts or strategic planning? What would happen if we asked God how to trust God at all times, in all places, in all circumstances? How would our lives change if we believed that the World's worst could harm only our bodies but God has pledged perfect safety for our souls if we but keep our eyes on God?

I do not suggest this is easy, but I do believe with all my heart that the journey is worthwhile, the journey to grow deeper in relationship with God, trusting God more, loving God more, living more like Jesus showed us in the life He lead. And knowing that, on our own, we could not dare even to attempt such a journey, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to be with us, teach us, guide us, sustain us, strengthen us and protect us.

My friend, I promise, God cares about you, knows your fears, anxieties, concerns and cares intimately about you and already has a plan for you, one of hope and not of fear. Start the conversation (prayer), keep talking (praying), learn more (read the Bible), gather with people who profess a relationship with God to learn with and from  (find a church and/or a Bible Study group), give the "live like Jesus" idea a try (join a service project and practice kindness in small ways that God lays before you). I promise, you will be amazed!

*1 John 4:16

In many parts of the world being an active, open follower of the teaching of Christ is not only punishable by death, it is BEING punished by death. For our loved ones in jails and prisons, being "too Christian" has its own challenges and risks, for some even the risk of death. Yet in such circumstances followers of Christ find the risks well worth the rewards and rely on this writing from the New Testament: 

Who will separate us from Christ’s love? Will we be separated by trouble, or distress, or harassment, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? ... But in all these things we win a sweeping victory through the one who loved us. I’m convinced that nothing can separate us from God’s love in Christ Jesus our Lord: not death or life, not angels or rulers, not present things or future things, not powers or height or depth, or any other thing that is created. Romans 8:35, 37-39

But in the USA, for all the whining we Christians do about wanting things to be "more Christian" (however we define that) we really are easily distracted from allowing our "Christian faith" to make deep and noticeable differences that make us easy to identify in our social set or among our colleagues or in political or community meetings. I'm not talking about what we SAY, but what we DO. So our perceived freedom has too often been little more than a talking point rather than the radical faith demonstrated by men and women behind prison bars.

What separates you from a more complete dependence on God? What shades you from being God's light to the World? What gets in the way of passionately seeking God's purpose in your life? 

We can get ourselves in such a mess. Sometimes we think, "I'm a pretty good person and God must love me since I'm so much better than most other folks." Sometimes we think, "I am just not good enough, everybody else does so much better than me." These are two sides of the same shoddy t thinking.

You see, God sees you as you were created: in God's image, for a purpose and with infinite love: all our errors and mistakes -- sins using "churchy language" -- wholly covered by the Blood of Jesus. So if our perfection comes from the God who created us, redeemed by the God who died for us, living in us by the power of the Spirit of God, then what credit do we get to take? And how can we consider seriously that we are other than an absolutely wonderful and glorious creation?

None of us can consider how our "goodness" compares to the "goodness" of someone else because we cannot know the internal mechanism of temptation and sin. Maybe I look "better" than someone else, but they do amazing work for God compared to their gifts and burdens and I may be skating by with very little effort for what I am puffed up about.

In the end, it is never helpful to compare ourselves to others because we just don't know enough to even begin to understand the equation. And when we engage in this self-indulgent waste of time, we always wind up patting ourselves on the back falsely or bemoaning our status as chief sinner. All of that is smoke and mirrors spewed by the World to distract us from the primary issue here.

God does not make junk so I am not junk. God says Christ died for me, so I must be valuable to God. All the good I do I do by God's Grace. All the errors I make are never so great that God is not greater.

So when you look in the mirror while you brush your teeth, look at that amazing child of God! Ask God to give you the day you need rather than the one you want and thank God that no challenge or blessing comes without Grace in abundance. 

The perfect God finds you acceptable, my friend. What argument against that has any weight?

But Christ died for us while we were still sinners, and by this God showed how much he loves us. Romans 5:8

We love our grandchildren, children, parents, spouse, at least until or unless that love is betrayed, disrespected or trampled to death. Those bonds are so strong in most families that they sometimes gets distorted to something called love that is really more control, fear or a need for someone else's choices to reflect supposed honor on ourselves.

And if all that isn't so fraught with challenges and potential failing, now God says to love our neighbors as ourselves. I KNOW God loves my neighbors, but surely God know how hard some of those neighbors are for me to love! And sometimes they have caused pain and even injury and death to people I love. It feels disloyal to love anyone who could do that.

But remember this, our sin is the reason that the Son of God died a hideous, public death heaped with scorn and mockery. Yet, the Almighty and sinless God still loves us, just as we are, wherever we are in our understanding of God--angry atheist, disinterested agnostic, dismissing adherents to other religions, tentative seeker, hypocritical church member or humble follower well aware of our own shortcomings. I believe this makes God a valid stakeholder in this discussion.

For the world, loving others like they are our fellow children of God, is just confusing. And for many in the church it is distasteful, for they would prefer to love only those they perceive to be like themselves. But for God it is essential, not for the good we do others, but the harm we would otherwise do to ourselves. 

And you might keep this mind: when you hate another they often don't notice and if they do they just think you are odd or mean-spirited. (Unless of course you have morphed into a stalker.) But we know that love is more powerful than fear, hate or anger, because when we act in love and kindness to another it not only blesses us (regardless of the response of the person being loved), but is often noticed and appreciated, opening doors to reconciliation, redemption and power that no hate can overcome.

Oh, and we don't have to do this alone: Holy Spirit of God, teach to love ourselves, our family and friends and, according to the very clear example You give us, teach us to love our neighbors, even the most challenging ones. AMEN

You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD. Leviticus 19:18

I share a love of 2nd hand stores and antique malls with one of my dearest friends. One day we ran across a small wall decoration whose frame offered interesting possibilities. I took it home and my granddaughter has a sweet, personalized, repurposed wall decoration that fits in with her current enthusiasm for all things Paris.

But I got something unexpected out of the deal too. The piece I originally bought had a difficult to read bit of writing displayed on it. Being a curious sort of person (in more ways than one) I took a moment to puzzle out the writing and it was a quote, one I don't remember reading before:

Love is a fruit in season at all times and within the reach of every hand. Mother Teresa

So I may be scrounging the antique mall or craft store for just the right item to display this lovely perspective in my own home. Because for so many things, we must wait for the right season. When we lived in Florida we were on the water year-around, but the type of activity still varied by season from bundled-up cruising to beach picnics. We visited our newest grandson for a month and learned this in a more personal way: even living nearer the equator the temperature changes through a narrower range, still seasons vary throughout the year from dry and windy to dry and not windy to rainy and back to windy and dry.

But for love we need never wait, for God loves us the same season to season and year to year. At any times and in all places we are free to surrender to God's love, open our hearts to a deeper relationship with God, travel a journey of maturing faith, finding and living the purpose-filled life God created us to live. God is always within reach.

Is it love if it demands rather than requests?
Is it love if it ignores the dreams and hopes of another?
Is it love if it exploits the weakness of another?
Is it love if it diminishes, debases or damages another?
Is it love if it humiliates, hamstrings or hampers another as they seek to grow?
Is it love if it takes more than it gives or gives more than it takes over the long term?
Is it love if it manipulates, controls or is underhanded with another?
Is it love if it is distrustful of, grasping toward or bossy with another?
Is it love if it is rude, resentful or irritable with another?
Is it love if it is unkind, impatient or mean to another?
Is it love if it harms, humiliates or harasses another?
Is it love if it withholds praise, comfort or tenderness from another?

Oh, Lord of Love, God of Light, let us love as You love us, tenderly caring for those we love. Erase selfishness and egotism that causes us to mistake our desires for the needs of those we love. Teach us generosity, patience, kindness, temperance, self-control and tenderness that we might shine Your Love into the lives of those we love. AMEN