the last dash for the old year
It’s the time of the year when we remember the year that is passing, look back with a little more honesty and resolve to run better, to pray better. Grace is a funny thing ; it can touch the vilest person and miss the average decent guy whom you think should not go to hell. Heb 12 : 15 reminds us ” not to miss the grace of God”. Strangely, it is not the prodigal son who will miss grace because he is so aware of his shame and sin: it is the elder son syndrome, the wronged one, the religious keeper, the offended servant of God who stumbles at grace having walk the road of discipleship many years and thinking that he is a better person – he thanks God that he is not like other sinners, he is not beating his chest over his small sins. Religion does that to you ; Hurt does that to you ; being at the receiving end of offense does that to you. You see yourself as hurt, maligned and stepped on. But Grace covers all with a healing balm, cleansing, releasing, renewing – Grace is for our sin and for the sin done to us.
There is grace for all of us but only the hungry, guilty, thirsty partake of it. I am a sinner still. This Christmas Lord Jesus may your grace speak light and kindness to those who are hurting and who hurt in return. To those who want to avenge and kill. May many muslims who are hurt or maligned find love and healing in you O Lord. It is always easier to kill steal and destroy. God took six days to create goodness and beauty and purpose ; the evil one killed all that in one day when Adam sinned. It is hard, Lord ,to plow the ground, sow the seed, watch the field , reap the harvest. It is hard to build, encourage and to grow but Lord give us who are called by your name to continue your work, redeeming the time and the pain, the twistedness of bondage and blindness. This Christmas may your grace seep in , like a Lamb, into cold hearts, hurting hearts, bitter hearts and speak your words of Life. Give them visions of your grace, the touch of your hands, the promise of your Spirit. We need Pentecost because we are blind and weak like Peter. We need the Damascus vision because we are angry and religious like Saul. We need the vision on Patmos because we have forgotten that we serve a risen King, the Mighty Lamb in the midst of our trials and tribulations. Lord Jesus maranatha!
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