Damage Done

Today I was sitting on his porch, when he said, "A lot of damage can be done in 72 years, and it takes a while to undo that damage."

By damage, he meant, spiritual abuse.  Spiritual abuse is the use of "God" to promote agendas of judgement, condemnation, anger, wrath, and even violence.  He'd spent the better part of his life sitting under what he called "Hell fire and Brimstone" preaching.  The message he'd received from church was, "you can never be good enough.  You will fail.  Ultimately God is waiting to lower the boom on your poor, wretched, pathetic life."  Such a message is crippling.  Place that alongside the experience that those that professed that message and called others to fearful following of strict rules and regulations absolutely failed to embody any of what they professed, and it created quite a disconnect in his heart and mind.

He'd hear things like, "God so loved the world."  Or like, "God is love."  And yet the messages he'd hear weekly and the practice of many church goers didn't seem to jive with those sentiments.  At age 72, he was still reeling under the weight of such abuse.

How many?  How many are kept from the Kingdom of God, not because of a lack of desire or interest in the things of God, but because they too can point to a similar experience of this gentlemen?  My heart breaks when I encounter such stories.  Especially when I believe that we've been given a better story!

See in the church we are called to be messengers and practitioners of "Good News!"  No, wait...not just "good" it is "incredible."  The God of the cosmos, the God who hung stars in the heavens and boundaried the waters, is a God that has wired this world for a relationship of love.  This God has created us to be His, to enjoy His grace, favor, love and mercy.  Even though we have a bent toward rebelliousness, this God will go to extremes, to do what ever it takes to claim us as His own - even if it means becoming one with us and one for us.  The story of God tells not first and foremost of wrath and condemnation...it tells us primarily of a tenacious, never-give up, never throw in the towel God, who given opportunity after opportunity to turn his back and say enough is enough, pushes forward to demonstrate his love for us in and through the person of Jesus!

Now you know what makes this news really cool?  We as those who've been changed by the love of God have been given the incredible privilege of displaying that love, grace, favor, and mercy to others!  Wait, did I say privilege?  I meant responsibility.  Ahh, maybe its both a privilege and responsibility.  Kingdom Living means taking seriously the call to embody the love of God to a world that is used to hearing only "bad news," to people who've been spiritual abused, wounded, and crippled.  Kingdom Living means a life of radical obedience to Christ's command to Love One Another!  Kingdom Living is the life shattered by a love that is higher, wider, deeper, and more vast than anything we could ever imagine!  Once shattered by love, we do not stand over others in condemnation, but stand alongside them, giving our lives away to them in friendship, compassion, care, and service!  Those committed to Kingdom Living can undo even 72 years of spiritual abuse because, "mercy triumphs over judgement'' (James 2:13) and "love covers a multitude of sins." (1 Peter 4:8)