Another Hallmark Holiday has come and gone…and yet, despite the hype, hoopla and hysteria, the world we inhabit is still a dark, lonely and broken place. I was reminded of this again this week in conversations with a number of people who have absolutely destroyed their relationships, ripped apart their families, and lost most of the elements that gave them meaning in life, all for the sake of what, in the end, “did not satisfy.”
As I thought of this, I am reminded that really, I am no different, as much as I would like to think differently. I am quick to judge the actions of these people as displaying a lack of understanding of consequences, of a lack of understanding the sequential effect of moral failure. Yet my actions are the same. The very act of judgement of their actions shows that I too, am quick to forget about the sequential effect of my actions.
You see, when I am looking at the perceived failures of others, it is easy to forget that I have not been called to pass judgement on their actions, even though by any set of absolutes, they were wrong. Rather, my first call is to remind people that there is an Answer to the questions of life and that I have been called to (Is 61:2-)
To bring good news to the [b]afflicted;
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to captives
And [c]freedom to prisoners;
2 To proclaim the favorable year of the LORD
And the day of vengeance of our God;
To comfort all who mourn,
3 To grant those who mourn in Zion,
Giving them a garland instead of ashes,
The oil of gladness instead of mourning,
The mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting.
So they will be called [d]oaks of righteousness,
The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified
When I reflect the healing and liberty that Christ brings to those who need to fear the day of vengeance of our God, then and only then, will I bring glory to Him.
Then, the oil of gladness and the mantle of praise changes my calendar to an ongoing celebration that doesn’t need to be marked by a Hallmark Holiday.
shadowsandsubstance 