Love as God and the forgiving power of God being actualized among humanity may be
the foundation of mission.
Monday
When we are pulled into the life of forgiveness that is built upon the rock that
is God as love, watch out. The life that comes may not make the kind of sense we
have thought should be the foundation of our every move. Forgiveness takes what
we have planned out so well and inspires us to risk to live outside the bounds of
well-planned drawings and lines. Forgiveness means that failure and the horrible
prospect of 'falling short' may well be a part of what will come. But do we fear
that. No. We are a people already wrapped up by this God as love. When we fall short,
we are invited to get back up and boldly go forward again. Most often, that means
forgiveness is in the mix.
This does not mean that forgiveness is a 'free pass' that is cheaply handed out
without any new life. Forgiveness does count on God as love to work to heal and
reconcile and wonder about how we will risk another move and another day. When our
world does not have room for life that may need to be met with forgiveness, we dare
not risk. This is especially the case with love. If our world must be well-calculated
and precise how will be ever let their be love alive. Rather then embracing the
moments of brokenness and miscalculations, we cut them off and dare not work toward
the healing of all things - love in action. Mission within the body of Christ moves
out embraced by God as love and nurtured by the deep well of forgiveness that will
always open the day with what is possible within the loving creativity of our God.
Control must be left behind as long as control prohibits the power of God as love
among us.
Tuesday
Forgiveness takes us into another land. It is another world. It is the domain of
the Reign of God. It is not the same as our everyday world that does not now how
to forgive nor will it really tolerate forgiveness. Forgiveness risks being eliminated
- discounted - ridiculed. Why? At the very foundation of forgiveness is the love
we say is the character of our God. That kind of love will move from here to there
in order to make peace even when the things that make for peace may mean we are
thrown down and our own power dismantled. That is what love does - it makes for
peace - it is the power that re-unites the separated - it is that strange actualization
of forgiveness so that what has created the separation can be re-viewed. That reviewing
is a never-ending conversation that is being pulled into God's loving embrace. We
are invited to re-view our brokenness and separation so that something new will
have the opportunity to come alive among us. That something new is the land of the
domain of God as love. It is there thatwe face both the alpha and the omega - and
both are elements of God's love.
Thursday
On the cross, we see a Jesus who sees the fullness of God's Reign. It is a reality
in which violence does not have the last say. It is a reality that is full of promise
even when promise appears to be meaningless. It is a reality that is not ruled by
revenge or the temptation to give back to the world the same messy brokenness that
defines the world. Jesus up on the cross does not take the bait and call down 'the
angels' to rescue him from the brutality of the day. That would be nothing new -
nothing creative - nothing redeeming. Instead, Jesus is after more than the power
to conquer others. Jesus is about the reshaping of the power of the cosmos - all
that is. He does that with his request for forgiveness. This is not merely a forgiveness
for a few individuals, it is forgiveness for the whole systemic lot of us. It is
forgiveness for each and every element of a world that is fear-filled, self-centered,
hungry for power and sold on the lie that it is the violent powers of the world
that can win the day. To all that there is that simple 'forgive them.' Nothing will
change the events of the day. Jesus will breathe his last. Jesus will be put into
a tomb. It will be over. That is how violence works. That is the real world filled
with more and more reasons to blame and brutalize one another. And then, there is
forgiveness. This is the step beyond the grave - beyond what is expected - beyond
that which everyone fears. Forgiveness leads to resurrection - new life - promises
fulfilled - non-violence.
In the middle of all the talk of forgiveness and God as love, there is the reality
of the day that will greet us. It is not a forgiving world and it is not a world
ruled by our God as love. So therefore, we cannot count on a sweet welcome when
we act in the ways of Jesus. In fact, it is not all that easy to turn the other
cheek and deal with the world around us in a way that is quite contrary to the
prevailing winds of violence and revenge and pay-backs. Forgiveness is often left
out to dry - or even die. It is too easy to pick up a false accusation and throw
it - too easy to call 'them' names - too easy to turn a slight into a declaration
of war against those 'bastards' - too easy to want the world to go in our favor
and hate everyone who gets in the way. So expect to be greeted by the world as it
is - you and me as we are. But then, expect God's promise to be the power of the
day that opens up new avenues to live that may indeed take us beyond our comfort
zone and into a pattern of life we have not made our everyday practice. That promise
of God is as real as all the stories we hear from Scripture. You know, those wild
and crazy stories that many folks cannot or will not swallow. But remember, those
stories - factual or not - are the told because this power of the Holy Spirit to
bring the love of God alive really is a power that has changed lives and the witnesses
wanted to pass that along to us.
O God of love and new life, take our hands and lead us again today - we need to
hear and see and feel your presence. Amen.
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