blueyedpoet
Refugee
This is my little rant I wrote after discovering recently (tonight actually) that a dear friend has betrayed me.
I think this very easily could end up as my most seemingly christian post ever.....
We're told from the very beginning in church how we're sinners, good-for-nothings-without God; and this is a unfortunate. The moment you look at a newly-born you realize they do not have a sinful nature.
Sadly, however, our environment nurtures a little Judas in us all. The conservative Christians - moral majoritites - are right in believing our world is corrupt and tainted with evil. Society teaches us that greed is an honorable trait; humility is weakness; blessed are the powerful. Being creatures so readably influenced we accept societal morality; and thus, we allow darkness into our lives.
Many in the Christian communities, I've been involved with, feel a feeling that borderlines on hate in regards to Judas. We all hate in others what we dislike about ourselves. Judas provides us all with an uncomfortable reminder how we cave in to pressure and betray love. We try to cash love in for cheap pleasure; money; sex; drugs; and we end up crying ourselves to sleep (some even everlasting sleep) hanging off a tree of incomprehensible guilt.
Without the nearly irresistible force of love, I think this is where the story would end for most of us. When we feel so guilty, we are left disabled - unable to better ourselves and the situation. That's why Paul writes that grace alone cannot save us. Efforts to remedy a situation or conflict or pointless because we are left battered with guilt. Guilt handicaps.
Overwhelmed by the ferocity of grace, we can overcome the paralyzing guilt that haunts all of us Judas's.
Grace comes in and tells us to look at ourselves wholistically. Are we wholly bad? No, even the worst of individuals have redeeming qualities. Are we wholly good? Of course not. Grace refuses to allow us to wallow in self pity. She says, "I love you. Get up. Love yourself. Forgive yourself and grow. You can grow. You need not remain here in the field of death and despair."
Grace allows all parties to heal.
I think this very easily could end up as my most seemingly christian post ever.....
We're told from the very beginning in church how we're sinners, good-for-nothings-without God; and this is a unfortunate. The moment you look at a newly-born you realize they do not have a sinful nature.
Sadly, however, our environment nurtures a little Judas in us all. The conservative Christians - moral majoritites - are right in believing our world is corrupt and tainted with evil. Society teaches us that greed is an honorable trait; humility is weakness; blessed are the powerful. Being creatures so readably influenced we accept societal morality; and thus, we allow darkness into our lives.
Many in the Christian communities, I've been involved with, feel a feeling that borderlines on hate in regards to Judas. We all hate in others what we dislike about ourselves. Judas provides us all with an uncomfortable reminder how we cave in to pressure and betray love. We try to cash love in for cheap pleasure; money; sex; drugs; and we end up crying ourselves to sleep (some even everlasting sleep) hanging off a tree of incomprehensible guilt.
Without the nearly irresistible force of love, I think this is where the story would end for most of us. When we feel so guilty, we are left disabled - unable to better ourselves and the situation. That's why Paul writes that grace alone cannot save us. Efforts to remedy a situation or conflict or pointless because we are left battered with guilt. Guilt handicaps.
Overwhelmed by the ferocity of grace, we can overcome the paralyzing guilt that haunts all of us Judas's.
Grace comes in and tells us to look at ourselves wholistically. Are we wholly bad? No, even the worst of individuals have redeeming qualities. Are we wholly good? Of course not. Grace refuses to allow us to wallow in self pity. She says, "I love you. Get up. Love yourself. Forgive yourself and grow. You can grow. You need not remain here in the field of death and despair."
Grace allows all parties to heal.
