September 19, 2001
"Perhaps when the people of Judah hear about every disaster
I plan to inflict on them, each of them will turn from his wicked way;
then I will forgive their wickedness and their sin."
Jeremiah 36:3
God's love for us is expressed in his desire to forgive and help move people into a right relationship with him has astounded me constantly as I've read through the prophets this year. Although I know I've seen it and it has moved me to some degree I know I didn't fully appreciate it and what it says about God because I don't always connect with it emotionally. Yesterday a brother wrote of some things he studied out after his daughter asked him if Jesus would forgive the people who committed the terrorist acts of last week. It started him on an emotional battle to take the truths and challenges of Luke 6:27-36 (love your enemies, do good to those who hurt you, pray FOR those who mistreat you (for their salvation not their demise)) and wrestle to get his heart to where he could love his enemies as Jesus would. As I read his letter yesterday it had the same effect on me... I know that God loves, that Jesus love even his enemies but when you finally come face to face with something that causes you to wrestle on an emotional level with the need to love an enemy it opens me up to understand what God's love means and what it really costs. As I talked about this with some friends last night one of them pointed out that she'd probably never had an enemy before.. she's never been challenged to forgive or to love in this way. I am still wrestling with all those things in my heart. My head understands where I need to get to but I know I'm not there yet. The more deeply I connect with and understand God's love the easier it is to move my heart to where it needs to be. It helps me understand just how amazing it is that Jesus could forgive while he was on the cross. I'm having a hard time letting go of things that happened a week ago and that didn't affect me personally (in the sense that I didn't know anyone dies or lost someone in the tragedies) but Jesus could forgive those who crucified him (and those whose sin put him there) on the spot, in the midst of all the physical, emotional and spiritual pain he felt.. his heart was to forgive, to use the moment and the opportunity, to move people into a relationship with him -- God doesn't struggle with the desire to forgive, His hearts greatest desire is to forgive! ...Amazing!