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Try Forgiveness
 N.T. Wright (Anglican Bishop) pointed out that he came into the world with a death sentence already hanging over him. He was constantly a victim, a victim that he could be assassinated, or be stoned for his odd and off-the-cuff faith, and being kidnapped - although he had a group of followers who, I assume, protected him somewhat. He was constantly on the “want” list of the leaders. Get rid of him. They feared him and relished the company of rogues. My favorite moment when I’m in Memphis is when I’m in a room filled with 60 incredible ex-cons, ex-gang members, ex-prisoners, and we can all dance together and grab ahold of a new life because they were all challenged by a new life trying to rescue the youth who have turned into the worst of the worst.
Yes, we must forgive others their sins, if not against us, against anyone, and we first must clean out that mind of ours that thinks we deserve to win the argument, or the victory or as NT tossed out there the question of why Jesus didn’t explain most of the Lord’s Prayer or the 10 Commandments. He may have explained it to His followers, but no one recorded that explanation. He does emphasize that we must forgive for all kinds of things whether we caused it to happen, to hurt someone, or because we heard about someone suffering and we didn’t step in to help, or in truth there were so many issues out there which needed and still do need to be resolved, that within His appearance on street or synagogue, Jesus didn’t even have the time to get it all out to those listening to His teachings.
Forgiveness is foremost. Nothing is so crooked or horrific or abusive that it cannot be held up for forgiveness because there is always a reason, a moment, a time when that issue happened and one either understood or did not understand or one didn’t want to lose the verbal battle. There seems to be no end to love and forgiveness in life. We need to know how to trust that, to use it, and to ask God to guide us in the moments when we must make those issues acceptable or remove them from the heart and soul. It is best to be a person who forgives no matter what. I’ve had two experiences in my life when I first lived in UY and had racehorses. Both men were trying to get money from me in a wicked way. They knew the politics of Uruguay, I, obviously did not, nor did Sergio. But rather than fight the ridiculous charges, we just paid the fee so we could get on with our lives and enjoy our victorious racehorses. It was like erasing the issue off the blackboard.
As I have mentioned often, I feel more comfortable in 201 Poplar with the youth aged 18-23 wearing dark green uniforms and slippery slippers, their wild and fun hairdos which identified them as cool dudes on the outside, now pulled out and not kept cool any longer. Truly, my heart breaks when I walk into that room and see them sitting in chairs, forced to listen to me or any speaker trying to tell them how to re-set their lives, although many won’t have that opportunity. But it cheers me when someone who had been in a bit of trouble at some point back in the day, spoke to the squad how they had transformed their lives into a positive one - like football star Joc Crawford, like Mat Barnes, and the Grizzlies player Tony Allen.
I believe there is a lot of hope in a hug. Just getting close to embrace someone who has just learned how to embrace because someone loves him or her. This is the kind of thing that makes my day and my “job” as Jesus’ follower and representative, I guess you might say.
One doesn’t have to be in a formal church with holy people adorned in robes and rhythm. If you really want to see the truth, go into the prisons, the homeless shelters, the soup kitchens where no one needs to wear holy robes, or have giant crosses hanging around their neck, or carry gold or silver cups from which real wine is sipped. We don’t have to work miracles or wrestle with miracles or have a unique direct line to God the Father. Everyone has a precious line straight to God. It’s just using it day in and day out no matter in what condition are your soul and heart.
It is hard to understand what Matthew reported about a Jesus order: “One who loves father or mother or son or daughter first, does not deserve me.” The man too protective of his life will lose it. Therefore, there is no reason to tip toe through the tulips without making a noise, or confusing one’s heart, or defending kids who are torn and twisted because they don’t understand that being conflictive and wild and crazy really gets you anywhere. Thomas Jefferson says that task was as easy as “finding diamonds in dunghills. “
True, most of the followers, the heroes of God-like people, seem to be men. None must be a super storyteller or preacher or have great robes and stoles or fancy red Prada shoes which a pope used, or a Ja Moran expensive sports shoes, or diamond crosses and Lamborghini. One thinks we can imitate or create a similar Jesus, which happened 2023 years ago. But one doesn’t have to do that. Jesus IS. He is here in each of us. If we just listen or sing or pray and give Him a chance to enter our souls, our hearts, our good or bad version of Love, then we don’t have to wait till we get to the holy heavens to be able to do the work God wants us to do right now. There are not enough hugs in this world. I am as excited to hug a Muslim, a Jew, a Buddhist, a criminal, an angel, or a confused corrupt human who hasn’t quite gotten what Christ really wants of him. We do what we do because we are humbled,
Get close to the uncleaned bodies - did Jesus consider them holy? dead girls, prostitutes smelling of abusive, women in menstruating, victims of bloody knives, half tossed legs, war veterans, and youth assassinated by police or gang members - slicing at them, shooting at them, making them inhuman-like. I trust and want to say I know Jesus in the hands of God would be right by the side of those victims who have no one to take care of them, love them, or pray over them - just think of war victims, of car wreck victims, of gang victims, of victims of bombs that have blown down whole buildings of people - imagine trying to find a human remain. or in a tornado or hurricane that only laughs as it whizzes by and destroys people and vehicles and homes, and trees and anything in its way.
Do you think Jesus or God or even His Saints just stand at a distance and says “poor” such ’n such? Don’t you think they leap in somehow and bring that disaster or tragic or abused or horrified person up through the clouds of life into heavens? What they look like is irrelevant. What they are or can be is important because they are now renewed in the arms of God. And what they look like or smell like or talk like really doesn’t matter. Somehow God will have smoothed us into a thing of beauty, a child of His own, a hope and a spirit that can be used however God wants to use us as we step into the heavens and enter that house of many mansions. There we must share and be thankful for all the love God put together in His endless kingdom where, I trust, He and our family and friends are waiting for us on that day when we know it was all worth it. Thank you, Jesus, for our hearts and heavenly homes.
~ Rev
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audrey@audreytaylorgonzalez.com
www.audreytaylorgonzalez.com
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