You have heard of collateral damage. Now hear of
collateral renewal. Every time we act in kindness, in mercy, in love: the
impact of our actions radiates out to touch many more lives than the ones in
our immediate vicinity. Others we do not know will be affected. The
reverberations of our compassion will circle the world. Collateral renewal –
healing rippling out, never ending.
Steven
Charleston
________________________________-
On Friday Jesus was put on a cross
He went by choice
A choice not to meet violence with violence
Hate with hate
He could, perhaps have cursed his tormentors
He could have rained invectives on those gathered around
him
Those who had beaten him
Nailed him to a tree
In order to steal his breath
The breath of God within him
Instead from that cross rained down
Forgiveness
Compassion
Healing
Restoration
Drop by drop by drop
Love hit that immense sea of enmity
Creating ripples of renewal
That spread
Moving every outward
Transforming
His disciples who could have
In anger
Turned to violence
Didn’t
Those who could have luxuriated in resentment
Didn’t
Christ’s love
Creating collateral renewal
We all see those who
Drop hate and resentment into the world
Those create collateral damage
They create ripples of anger
And we
Alas
Become smaller
Harder
Colder
Crueler
They bring out the worst in use
And make this world hell
But still, love comes
Drop by drop
Filling us
So that we
“act in kindness, in mercy, in love”
We too have a choice
Even when the worst happens
Even then
To radiate compassion
To create collateral renewal
I don’t know what went on in the souls
The hearts and minds of the disciples
On that Saturday
During the great wait
But I hope what they heard were not the cries
Crucify him
But the gentle words
Forgive them
Today you will be with me in Paradise
Here is your mother
Here is your son
I hope I believe
That in that dead silence
Renewal happened
I pray that today
We, those who follow
Can choose love
That we can choose, even as we are assailed
By lies, and hate
By the abuse of power
To look with compassion
Even on our tormentors
Even those who wish us dead
That
We can act with kindness, mercy, and love
For what comes from the cross must be
Must always be
renewal
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