Love boldly

Sunrise in rural Missouri

This weekend I was part of a life-transforming Bible Study Seminar.  

One speaker, whose topic had to do with the boldness of Christ, invited us to pray a two-minute prayer of repentance.  This invitation spoke to my heart.  A rush of thoughts about my thoughtless words and deeds from years ago, was followed by this sweet release, “It’s all right.  You didn’t know My love then.  It’s OK.”  A gentle peace replaced the bundle of regrets.

All this happened in less than the allotted two minutes.  What that message meant to me was not that the words or deeds were OK, but that I didn’t have to be in anguish, didn’t have to be haunted by those memories anymore.  The reason is because since that time I have found God’s love.  I know She loves me unconditionally, and my choices are much less likely to be selfish or mean and much more likely to help people than to hurt them.
 

The message was to participate boldly in a present filled with Christ -- by letting the sad past go.

Later another speaker gave us ideas for redeeming that past.  But that's another blog, another day.

Through whose eyes?

A recent comment on another blog (Christian Science Fellowship - Metro Chicago) grabbed my attention. The writer referenced the story of Simon the Pharisee.

Briefly, Simon was a sceptic of Jesus, but invited him anyway to come to dinner. In that culture anyone could come and watch the wealthy eat. But one woman came whose profession made her completely unwelcome. Her motive was to honor Jesus' unconditional love for people even like her.

The tension grew. Simon was offended by her presence and could hardly stand that Jesus allowed this lowest-of-the-low to be near him. Jesus understood the woman's motive -- to somehow become the good and pure and useful person God made her to be. He blessed her deep desire and sent her away telling her her sins were forgiven.

The comment writer left me asking this question: Am I seeing the unwelcome guests in my life through the eyes of Simon -- criticizing, condemning, putting down? Or am I seeing unwelcome guests through the eyes of Jesus -- willing to discern honest repentance, to bless and to heal?