Ugliness and Jesus
Fools think their own way is right, but the wise listen to others. -- Proverbs 12:15
At least he now
knows Covid is real. There’s nothing quite like a hospital stay, complete with
breathing trouble, achiness and fatigue, to convince someone that the virus
they once said didn’t exist truly is real. Unfortunately, it didn’t change his
heart or his attitude.
I simply can’t
reconcile the anger and hatred, the ugliness, that comes from his mouth with
the faith he so loudly proclaims. It goes so much farther than Covid and a
vaccine. It’s about recognizing that we aren’t always right. And it’s about understanding that ugliness
and Jesus don’t really belong in the same sentence.
How often do
we hide behind our beliefs and use Jesus to try and justify ourselves? He wants
no part of it. Jesus tells us to love. He tells us to forgive. He tells us to
do good to those who seek to harm us. Except sometimes we’re so busy being “right”
that we miss Jesus.
The
Pharisees missed Jesus. They were so busy being right that they missed the
Messiah. They clung fervently to their power and their own holiness, raising
themselves above the lowliness that Jesus embraced. We haven’t learned that
lesson yet, have we? We’re still looking down on people who don’t see Jesus as
we do. We’re clinging to our verbiage rather opening our proud hearts to the
possibility that we could be wrong.
Anger begets
anger and hatred begets hatred. What comes from the heart truly reveals the
person who lies within. What does your heart reveal about you? What “belief” do
you need to cast aside so that you might embrace the truth?
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