Fire and flood, storm and pestilence, murder, strife, and rumours of strife surround us. We wonder, often and aloud, what will come of it, what will be our “new normal,” when this is “all over;” we look forward to the restoration of our fortunes, to our recovery. But we know, from our place in the cold ashes next to Job and his old friends, that whatever comes next, there is much that will not be undone.
I often think about this when I am dealing with people,.. I like to remember that what I am seeing is not the whole person. There are histories and stories behind the person in front of me, things I can’t understand. And hopefully, I can find some compassion in that.
We all have addictions, wounds and failures that cause us shame and get in the way of our relationships with one another and with God. To get past them we have to embrace them, acknowledge and work with them.
Who are the “Ninevites” and “Queens of the South” these days—outsiders who recognize the wisdom of Jesus’ teachings and turn in the right direction even when the self-titled Christ-followers do not?