The Bible is chock full of thoroughly human stories. Part of truthiness of Hebrew Scripture is the earthiness, humanness and frankness of life. These are stories that relay the message of God and humans does not try to cover up or deny how we are capable of acting. Intermixed with the love story of the Jewish nation and God are sometimes even horrific stories of murder, war, explicit violence and vengeance. There are also stories of adultery, rape, concubines and templates for life we really do not want to emulate.
The fundamental message however is one of the love of God for mankind and all creation. The Bible is full of stories of love promised and love fulfilled. When we read Hebrew scripture we can see that Jesus was a promise made by God. Jesus incarnate is a fulfillment of the love story. All the other utterly human behaviour that is dispersed into the lives of mankind are not so much a message themselves but a yearning for a full relationship and a holiness that we are destined to if we say yes to God.
If we were to take the story of my life , or your life, undoubtedly there would be a few mistakes. Perhaps a few diversions from the way we are called to act. Mistakes and even sins. Like the sins and violence in the Bible, I hope my life points to an overall picture of my desire to be in relationship with God and a holiness that I am called to by a holy inheritance. I pray that no one will look at my life, like so many errant episodes of Scripture, and judge me based on a moment or episode of my life. I have made numerous mistakes, been stiff necked and perhaps even belligerent. I don't want God to see those actions as my defining moments. I don't think God does. God's love for me and you is greater and wiser than that.
Whenever we take time, and especially in Lent, to look inward and assess our lives and our journey to wholeness and holiness, I hope we can filter out the bad stuff and see how well we have done. Our life is a journey, a calling, a path to God. Sidetracks are honest human diversions that we must understand are not defining moments. We must appreciate as God does, that we are as much on an imperfect journey as the Bible portrays in all the missteps and doubt it portrays.
Let us see that the over-arching message and definition of our lives is towards God in love and faith. Focus on the good stuff of our lives and certainly forgive ourselves as God forgives and loves each one of us.
Romans 5:12-21
Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death came through sin, and so death spread to all because all have sinned—sin was indeed in the world before the law, but sin is not reckoned when there is no law. Yet death exercised dominion from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sins were not like the transgression of Adam, who is a type of the one who was to come.
But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died through the one man’s trespass, much more surely have the grace of God and the free gift in the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abounded for the many. And the free gift is not like the effect of the one man’s sin. For the judgement following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brings justification. If, because of the one man’s trespass, death exercised dominion through that one, much more surely will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness exercise dominion in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.
Therefore just as one man’s trespass led to condemnation for all, so one man’s act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all. For just as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. But law came in, with the result that the trespass multiplied; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, just as sin exercised dominion in death, so grace might also exercise dominion through justification leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
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