Thoughtful Pause
I have been quiet since August 8th. The reasons are personal. I don’t always feel the need to write; however, when it hits me I know I can’t do another thing until I sit down and get my thoughts out into the world.
I began this new newsletter because I wanted to write and thought I must crank out something at least once a week. It didn’t take long for that approach to feel false and exhausting. That is not how I believe I am intended to use my love for writing. God has given me this gift and the only time I feel authentic is when I am writing from a place of personal conviction and deep emotion. This means I won’t likely build a huge audience, but that is OK. I am here, in the world, to share what I believe in the hopes it strikes a chord and helps someone who feels alone.
This post has everything to do with the assassination of Charlie Kirk, and yet nothing to do with that horrible event. The mental image I created for myself (I have not watched any video) plays on a continuous rewind inside my head. I feel a deep, heavy grief for Charlie’s family, his followers, and all the young people who will never get to experience him in person.
I don’t agree with everything Charlie said or stood for. I am a follower of Christ and as such, mercy and compassion are to be given freely. What Charlie said was less the point than how he said it. Even with those he disagreed with, he extended kindness, love, a listening ear, doing it all with humor. I am not here to debate his theological stance. I am here to share what I experienced when I took all this grief to God in prayer this morning.
I laid it all out. Everything I just shared and more. I prayed for the healing of all involved and healing for our people, and thus our nation. As I always do, I sit and wait. Eyes closed focusing my mind on God, our loving creator and heavenly Father. As my mind remained open and focused, the image of Jesus intervening on behalf of the adulteress who about to be stoned to death for her sin. Jesus’s words spoke very clearly to me, “Let him without sin be the first to cast a stone.” The men laid down their stones and left. Jesus then freed the woman and advised her to sin no more.
This, to my simple little mind, is the clearest example of how God wants us to treat others. This business of condemning, pointing fingers, and name-calling only serves to make that one person feel victorious while further wounding the other.
God gave us Jesus so that we can have a human example of how we are to live in the world. I don’t believe it is our job as Christians to condemn, exclude, or isolate others because they are not like us. Jesus NEVER did that.
Much has been made about Kirk’s position on transgender and gay people. He had his opinion, yet there are transgenders who will say that though he didn’t condone it, he was always kind and respectful. If we haven’t experienced the deep emotional issues that must be a part of the transgender population or their families, then we need to keep our mouths shut and have our ears open. Love first. That is the only way others will feel safe sharing their pain.
That is how Jesus treated all sinners…a club we all belong to no matter what the sin.
I challenge myself and you to always lead with compassion and kindness. Leave the work of the soul to God, we aren’t called to work miraculous transformations on others—only ourselves. Love God and walk closely with him, be humble and love your fellow man. That is our job. It is simple, yet so very hard.
