The narrow way of love and the cross we carry


This road of love is not an easy one to follow. But it is, I believe, the narrow road that Jesus spoke about.

The way of love is so much more than living a 'clean' or 'moral' life or having 'the right beliefs'. Jesus spoke pretty clearly about that when he discussed whitewashed tombs (Matt 23:27-28).

 'Living right' is sometimes not much more than outward appearances that can become, if we let them (Lord, forgive me, because I have let them) leverage for pride. I may smile at someone while inside criticizing them. I may go to church and pay a tithe and remain faithful to my spouse (all of which are hugely honorable) but at the same time my heart wallows in a life of 'anti'...

It's easy to be 'anti'.

It is a hard road to see every person and every creature as belonging to God and worthy of honor. It is a narrow, sometimes stifling, claustrophobic journey to be the only one in a group that is speaking 'anti-_____' 
(fill in the blank with your choice of political group, people group or religious group) to say 'maybe they do that because they don't understand', 'maybe they lash out because they have been hurt, just like we have been at times', 'maybe we should try to understand their struggle'.

Many times the phrase 'it's the cross I must bear' is used to explain sickness or bad fortune...I don't think it has anything at all to do with that (not to mention it makes God out to be a big ol' germ-wielding meanie). The cross that Jesus carried was laid on him by the establishments and people who were threatened by his words of grace and love. I believe it is a similar 'cross' that Jesus asks his followers to pick up and carry: the one of rejection, ridicule and sometimes violence that gets nailed to us when we seek to exchange the eyes of the world (be they systems of economics, religion or politics) for the eyes of Christ...To thwart our own (sometimes justified) negative emotions for the heart of God.

Today is a day of encouragement for everyone everywhere who, at any moment, chooses the way of Christ even if they didn't choose it the moment before or the moment after...Because it's something that is hard to maintain each and every moment. But Papa God knew that and that is why Jesus sent us the Holy Spirit.

Stay strong in the love and Grace of the Lord...Seek justice for those pushed to the outskirts of society. Welcome them into the Kingdom with a kind word. Realize that we may not always be the fabulous bag of chips we think we are and that 'WE' are just as in need of grace as 'THEY' are.

Forgive yourself. Forgive others...God has.
 
And GOD IS WITH YOU!






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