The Word that is Splitting the World In Two
I listen to Radio 4 news almost every night while I'm making dinner. It is my time-out to understand things. A couple of nights ago, I just had to turn it off. Sometimes my heart just aches with all of the injustice and hatred in the world.
In the country where I was born, a city and people are being torn apart by violence that shows very little difference from what I hear on the radio about the Middle East.
Down the street from my house, a marginalised group of people are further ostracised and set on the fringes by people who are not truly very different from them.
In the church, I see people set against each other and more anger and resentment and fear than love.
In Gaza, a six-year-old child will have lived through three wars in his short life, if he even survives.
I realised something in the silence without all the news. It all comes down to one thing:
I do/am ____________ and they don't/aren't. No matter the circumstances, they don't deserve _________.
Let me give you some fill-in-the-blanks. I imagine you will get them right away.
1) I have a job, and they don't. No matter the circumstances, they don't deserve ___________.
2) I am a person who never breaks the law, and they aren't. No matter the circumstances, they don't deserve _________.
3) I am a natural-born citizen of this country, and they aren't. No matter the circumstances, they don't deserve _________.
4) I have a lot of money that I have earned, and they don't. No matter the circumstances, they don't deserve _______.
5) I speak the native language of this country, and they don't. No matter the circumstances, they don't deserve ________.
6) I am married, and they aren't. No matter the circumstances, they don't deserve __________.
7) I am happy and healthy, and they aren't. No matter the circumstances, they don't deserve _______.
8) I follow the Bible to the letter, and they don't. No matter the circumstances, they don't deserve _________.
The blanks for you may be filled differently, and for some, not at all. I think they all boil down to words like mercy, care, protection, health, justice, and love.
So what does it matter, Wendy? They are just opinions! Most of them I would never say aloud. Lots of people agree with me, so I must be right! They aren't hurting anyone!
Except that the natural next step in those news stories all have one similarity: The blank contains the words "TO LIVE."
As a Christian, the more I read the words of Jesus and the Bible, the more I realise that there is no comparison. The statement is broken utterly and completely. What we deserve and what we get are NEVER the same thing. I love what David says in Psalm 103: "The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, rich in love. He does not treat us as we deserve, or repay us according to our wrongs."
I don't know about you, but that's is one heck of a lucky thing. I don't deserve a wonderful husband or a beautiful, healthy child. I don't deserve to have a house or a healthy body or mind. I don't deserve any of privileges I've been given because of my class or the color of my skin or the content of my character.
It's really easy to look at others through the lens of "what they deserve." It's much harder to see people as part of humanity and love them through the lens of "there's nothing good that I deserve." We can't fix all the world's complex, painful situations overnight, but we can easily fix our thoughts and actions to focus on what is good and loving. But what if we did? Would heaven come a little bit closer to us?
What if we gave people that deserve punishment mercy and help?
What if we gave people that deserve ridicule love and encouragement?
What if we gave people that deserve poverty a home and good health?
What if we gave people that deserve death a more abundant life?
What would happen if we gave others what we think we deserve?
In the country where I was born, a city and people are being torn apart by violence that shows very little difference from what I hear on the radio about the Middle East.
Down the street from my house, a marginalised group of people are further ostracised and set on the fringes by people who are not truly very different from them.
In the church, I see people set against each other and more anger and resentment and fear than love.
In Gaza, a six-year-old child will have lived through three wars in his short life, if he even survives.
I realised something in the silence without all the news. It all comes down to one thing:
I do/am ____________ and they don't/aren't. No matter the circumstances, they don't deserve _________.
Let me give you some fill-in-the-blanks. I imagine you will get them right away.
1) I have a job, and they don't. No matter the circumstances, they don't deserve ___________.
2) I am a person who never breaks the law, and they aren't. No matter the circumstances, they don't deserve _________.
3) I am a natural-born citizen of this country, and they aren't. No matter the circumstances, they don't deserve _________.
4) I have a lot of money that I have earned, and they don't. No matter the circumstances, they don't deserve _______.
5) I speak the native language of this country, and they don't. No matter the circumstances, they don't deserve ________.
6) I am married, and they aren't. No matter the circumstances, they don't deserve __________.
7) I am happy and healthy, and they aren't. No matter the circumstances, they don't deserve _______.
8) I follow the Bible to the letter, and they don't. No matter the circumstances, they don't deserve _________.
The blanks for you may be filled differently, and for some, not at all. I think they all boil down to words like mercy, care, protection, health, justice, and love.
So what does it matter, Wendy? They are just opinions! Most of them I would never say aloud. Lots of people agree with me, so I must be right! They aren't hurting anyone!
Except that the natural next step in those news stories all have one similarity: The blank contains the words "TO LIVE."
As a Christian, the more I read the words of Jesus and the Bible, the more I realise that there is no comparison. The statement is broken utterly and completely. What we deserve and what we get are NEVER the same thing. I love what David says in Psalm 103: "The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, rich in love. He does not treat us as we deserve, or repay us according to our wrongs."
I don't know about you, but that's is one heck of a lucky thing. I don't deserve a wonderful husband or a beautiful, healthy child. I don't deserve to have a house or a healthy body or mind. I don't deserve any of privileges I've been given because of my class or the color of my skin or the content of my character.
It's really easy to look at others through the lens of "what they deserve." It's much harder to see people as part of humanity and love them through the lens of "there's nothing good that I deserve." We can't fix all the world's complex, painful situations overnight, but we can easily fix our thoughts and actions to focus on what is good and loving. But what if we did? Would heaven come a little bit closer to us?
What if we gave people that deserve punishment mercy and help?
What if we gave people that deserve ridicule love and encouragement?
What if we gave people that deserve poverty a home and good health?
What if we gave people that deserve death a more abundant life?
What would happen if we gave others what we think we deserve?
Comments
Post a Comment