Lord, give me patience

"We do not draw people to Christ [what is Sacred and good] by loudly discrediting what they believe, by telling them how wrong they are and how right we are, but by showing them a light that is so lovely that they want with all their hearts to know the source of it."

                               Madeleine L'Engle

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I wasn’t there

So I really don’t know for sure

 

But it seems to me as if Jesus had amazing patience

Oh, sure, he gently chided some

And he had “that moment” in the temple

 

When patience worn thin tables were tossed

and predators scattered

 

but for the most part

he faced the stubborn

the clueless

the fearful

the misguided

with amazing patience

 

there are times (had it been me)

when I would have proclaimed

 

“Are you f*#@*& kidding me!  Seriously!  How can you be so…….. “

 

stupid?

blind?

selfish?

 

but Jesus didn’t do that

 

Oh, he talked about greed, and human foolishness

He talked about our problem with power

 

He was nothing, if not clear

about how we should live

 

but when Jesus ran in to human’s with thinking errors

and behavioral issues

he did not attack

 

he welcomed

 

he accepted, and listened

and heard (a critical step)

and he started from where those people were

not from where he wanted them to be

 

and he sought to move from that place

even if that place was untruth

toward the truth

 

there is a lesson for me here

for I am too often the zealot

wanting to change, fix, and reform

 

instead of joining the other

walking along side, conversing, communing

asking questions

understanding

 

I ooze righteous indignation and moral outrage

seeking to change them

without being participating in the process of change myself

 

I fail to hold their pain

I fail to hold my own pain

And I am so busy looking at their faults (from my perspective)

That I am not engaged with my own sin

 

In the kingdom of God there is no “other”

 

I saw a quote today that gave me pause

“Imagine the Christians Paul helped to kill,

 Rejoicing as he enters heaven as their brother.

 That’s how the Gospel works”  (Randy Miller?)

 

that is how Jesus worked

the one who valued others above himself

who made himself nothing

taking on the role of one who serves

 

it was through tenderness and compassion

and letting go

of position, advantage, privilege,

that Jesus drew people into the light of God’s love

 

I want people to wake up!

I want people to see what is true!

I want people to grab hold of values and priorities consistent with the teachings of Jesus

I want people to let go of greed, and hate, and fear

 

I want people to do life a different way

the Jesus way

 

but I will never shame them into transformation

I cannot force people to change

But I can be patient with them

I can listen

I can join them (for I am my own unique version of messed up)

I can love them

 

and let Jesus work in their lives

and mine too

and let the Kingdom come

one small step at a time