Yes, I realize it's been a LONG while since I posted any thoughts. I really should return to this more often. I am certainly not lacking for material what with all the work my brain cells get in graduate school.

The last several months I have felt increasingly weighed down by the brokenness in our world. Whether it hits close to home or far away it seems my heart is sensitive just the same. People are hurting. I mean really hurting. Death, disease, addiction, divorce, adultery, lying, stealing, corruption, apathy, despair, hunger, poverty, and murder. These are just a few words that come to mind and as I've just typed them my question is this: am I numb to these words? Do I stop to consider the implications of each of them to someone else's life? Or do I casually express sadness and move on?

I realize we are only human and no amount of sympathy, empathy, or care on my part can turn the world upside down. But it should make me indignant and cause me to ask what in fact is my role? I can cry out to God who became flesh, dwelt among us, and felt our hurts. He did come to turn the world upside down and inside out.

We had communion at church this morning. As I closed my eyes to pray a picture immediately came to mind. I saw Christ standing in front of a crowd of people. Nothing fancy, in fact I was just imagining my own church. And one by one we freely and peacefully knelt before him, felt his touch, and moved forward to stand behind him. Healed and forgiven. The line of those coming to him never ended but no one cared because of the beauty of what was happening.

Lord, I pray for renewed compassion, interest in, and love for your most prized creations: people. I would say especially the hurting, but we're all hurting somehow if we're honest, aren't we?