Lets Get Intimate

There is such thing as too much of a good thing. Too much beer/wine/whiskey assists in terrible rants about eternity, head aches and very bad gas. Too much coffee results in my hands and toes shaking uncontrollably and the urge to take part in some sort of counter culturally activity(at least for me). Too much spare time results in 8:30 PM trips to Starbucks to partake in aforementioned good thing. Too many books CAN result in a loss of touch with actually people. This is not always so terrible to me but you know. Too much thinking can result in psychosis and second guessing your every move. Too much technology can result in untalented but inspired people to have the audacity to blog their thoughts on thoughtsofawannabenathan.blogspot.com. Too much sugar and saturated fats result in a fairly rotund belly and an addition to the chin God gave humans. Too much religion can result in a  crazy dogma and loss of relationship with Christ and people. Too much lack of religion can result ridiculous personalized spirituality where you are never wrong and decisions like wanting your friends to all wear the same jump suits and shoes right before you drink poison kool-aid.
Well I guess consistency in our lives is good. They are kicking me out of starbucks now and my hands shake as i type this.

10 years.

I stood in the hallway of Eureka Jr Sr High, leaning against the wall with a few of my friends waiting for class to start. Someone walked up and said it. "Did you guys see the news? Someone hit the World Trade Center with a plane."
I almost laughed. I thought he was kidding or if he was serious it had to be a single prop plane and tragically a few people may have died. Obviously I was wrong. I was stunned, scared, enraged and thought any retribution we gave to the terrorists was deserved and good. Ten years later the rage is gone. Sadness is there and pity. Pity for the families of the victims, pity for the families of the terrorists and most of all pity for the terrorists. How could a person justify killing thousands of people and think that God would be pleased. I get ill thinking of this.

Love your enemies. How do we do this as Christians? As terrible as the attacks were, Christ calls us to love those who were responsible for them. I know I myself cannot do this but Christ who is in me can. I cannot forgive them but I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me. As Christians we will be persecuted, we will see tragedy, we will lose those we love here on earth and we are called to love all of those who bring pain and hurt into our lives. The early Christians were fed to lions, boiled alive, skinned, raped,  nailed to crosses, beheaded and hunted. Yet the Church survived, even grew by THOUSANDS each year. They loved their enemies and by the love of Christ in them, they touched those who persecuted them. God help us to emulate them.

Ten years later I am still forgiving and trying to love.