12/14/12 Antonio about 25
I
heard about the tragedy in Connecticut while at work today. It was heavy on my heart while I drove home
through the darkening city streets. I
turned on “positive, encouraging K-Love”, a Christian radio station that’s been
a real blessing to me. As I made my way
along in my sound-bubble, hearing heavenly music but seeing very worldly scenes
of life here on earth, the Newsboys came on with their version of “Amazing Love”
- “I’m forgiven, because You were forsaken.
I’m accepted, You were condemned.
I’m alive and well, Your Spirit lives within me, because You died and
rose again…” The juxtaposition of the words
and music in my car, the events of the day, and the street life all around me
was surreal, with all the snippets of everyday life, little dramas unfolding
all around me, some of them possibly tragedies in their own way. “Amazing Love, how can it be, that you my
King would die for me? Amazing love, I
know it’s true, and it’s my joy to honor You, in all I do, I honor You” I joined in, singing along with the Newsboys,
feeling like I’m in my own private monastery, worshipping behind the
wheel. But how could I worship on a day
like today? What difference would it
make? How can I worship without feeling
like a hypocrite, seeing the need around me but doing nothing about it, feeling
helpless to do anything? For me, I can’t. I sing with my whole heart because I’m about
to park the car, get myself out on that busy sidewalk, and strike up a
conversation about the Lord with someone.
Today, it was with Antonio, who adamantly told me at first that he
believes in God but not in any sort of existence after we die, and that we
could never know even if there was. Half
an hour later, he was enthusiastically shaking my hand, four times over,
telling me he would read the Bible I had just given him, for the first time. What does this have to do with the tragedy in
Connecticut? Well I believe that the
young man who did the shooting knew nothing of the forgiveness and love of
Jesus. He may turn out to have some religious connections, but he didn’t know Jesus. Jesus said you will know a tree by its
fruit. Followers of Jesus don’t shoot
little children. We need more followers
of Jesus.
No comments:
Post a Comment