To give some context to the picture and blog - this picture was drawn by an artist in our church during worship around the time of Pentecost, hence the fire depicted to represent the Holy Spirit..
I was on a week long course recently and we had 3 devotional sessions that were hugely impactful to me, they were told in story like fashion and you could literally climb into the story. They were all stories of Jesus showing radical love to people while he was here on earth. How he came close to pain and those that others cast aside. During that time I had a particular worship song playing on my mind and you might notice it mentioned in places throughout the blog/poem. My heart is broken for our world and how so many people are being badly treated, marginalized and silenced. This writing came on the back of all of that. The cry of my heart is that we would all do better in how we love each other, especially with those we find hard to love.
Where’s our love? Where's our fear?
Which one are we allowing to drive and motivate us?
There are no added parts in
the Greatest Commandments
They are there, plain and simple
Is it love your neighbor, BUT
only those we see as our neighbor?
It’s all about the heart, right?
Really, like the whole heart?
Let’s dig into that just for a bit.
This does mean all parts of my heart
Not just the parts I am happy with
It can't be until
the heart finds a prejudice, a fear, a sin, a few colours
that don’t fit into my neat picture.
Oh, heaven forbid, not that group of people!
Ok Jesus here are my reasons.
I am totally justified here
Right?
There are reasons
I really do love all people, BUT
not that person, not those people
They are a little out of my framework Jesus.
Do you really mean everyone?
You changed things too much Jesus
You took away all the hooks
I was hanging onto!
You used fewer words
I had all the rules neatly packed
Beautifully written out
Put up on the wall
All the ‘do not’s’
But now you come along with only a do!
You flipped it all around Jesus
I’m confused
Do you really mean everyone?
Even if they don’t love you?
I’m sure there’s something in your word
that can help me in my dilemma.
But Jesus, they’re sinning, they’re sinners!
What was that you said?
I came for the lost
I came for the cast aside
Ok, I will organize a sandwich today
Donate a blanket and some clothes
Even go on a mission trip
Is that ok now?
Is that enough?
I’ve reached out to the margins
Now what?
You want more than that?
You want my whole heart?
Like, all on the altar?
My everything?
Oh! This is a daily thing
This consuming thing
With nothing left of me
Love your neighbor
Yes, that neighbor!
From your neat package of ‘do not touch’
Show them welcome
Help them belong
I’m asking you to include them
But how God?
Follow me child
I showed you how
I gave you few words to follow
So it’s not confusing
It’s not complicated
We keep asking for the fire to fall
To set us ablaze
You know, ‘whatever it takes.’
Help us Lord
We’ve messed this up
I have grace and forgiveness for you child
My mercy extends to your cold heart too
But, it’s that ‘all’ word God
Is it really all of my heart?
All of my soul
All my body, spirit and strength too?
Can’t I just keep a little spot
For not loving
For this group of people
And justify it along with other
Christians who feel the same?
They understand God
They also think the way I do
Our world is such a mess God
We have to be careful of all the evils
Oh goodness, there’s that altar again
Can’t you just set this part of me ablaze?
I will keep these parts off the altar
What? You are an all consuming fire
Consumed means all gone
I watched someone recently
They set themselves on fire
The fire raged quickly
It consumed them
They were gone
I’m wondering if that’s what a sacrifice
on your altar means?
There’s like real fire here
Real burning
Real consuming
Real “nothing left of me”
You call us to die to self
But what?
You say a living sacrifice
Oh, I still get to live?
But there’s none of me left
Only you
It’s your love shining through
It’s only your love
I get it
I love with your love
Your never ending love
I can love those people now
With ‘me and my’ out of the way
It’s a choice I get to make
Free to lay it down
As a gift to you
To bring you honor
It’s a surrender of everything
My everything
Everything
Every part
For your glory
Oh God, we need your healing touch
Your forgiveness
Your grace, evey day
Your mercy and justice to flow
Rivers and oceans of it.
Artwork by Evelien Burger
Poetry by Debbie Hemmens
