Doodling in the dirt?

Doodling in the dirt?

The young man was passionate, stating his convictions in unambiguous terms.  To him, it was an issue of stark black and white, no room for compassion! Then I pointed out a person sitting about 5 feet away who was what he condemned.  Thankfully, he was not so self-righteous as to be unaware of how his words were heard. He blushed as he realized how unloving his words were at that moment.

Truth and love; are they in conflict or are they complementary? 
Need we toss our convictions about what is right and true overboard in order to be a person who is loving and accepting? 
Or, flipping that around, need we jettison love and respect for others so that we can remain committed to our convictions about the truth?

Christians living in a culture of tolerance find themselves in this struggle all the time. Those with a high view of Scriptural authority do not have the luxury of re-writing passages that deal with sexual behavior, with divorce, with roles in the family, with discrimination,  with materialism, even with the exclusive claims of Christ as Savior.  The Word speaks to those issues compelling us to yield our will to God’s revelation. There is Truth to be found and the Lord promises that we will find His highest purpose when we submit ourselves to Him.  Yet, in the middle of this, the Gospels show us a life of love, illustrated clearly in the Man who is Truth personified, yet one full of deeply authentic love for all.

In the 8^th chapter of John we learn about the powerful transformation that comes when Truth and Love act in concert.  A woman was dragged before Jesus by men who loved the Truth!  “She is a sinner,” they said without thought for her. “What are You going to do about it?” they challenged Him.  She was an adulterer. There was no question about her guilt.  The Lord saw more than a ‘sin’ standing in front of Him. He saw a person. "Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger in the dirt. They kept at him, badgering him. He straightened up and said, “The sinless one among you, go first: Throw the stone.” Bending down again, he wrote some more in the dirt." (John 8:6-8, The Message)  Why did He doodle in the dirt? Didn’t He feel any urgency to straighten out this situation? No, in fact, He didn’t.  Our first mistake in our love of the Truth is feeling like we have to fix all the wrong in us and others today.  Salvation is a kind of healing and it’s a process.  Need we wade into somebody’s life swinging the sword of truth when we barely know them or their situation?  Jesus called on these men to recognize their own need, too.  

 Truth is much more complex when we see it in the context of our own duplicity of nature! After the men’s hearts were pierced by the Spirit’s conviction, and they wandered off quietly, He turns to the woman.  He does not minimize her choices to sin. Instead, He offers her love and  challenge: "Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”  (John 8:10-11, NIV)

Sometimes the most loving thing we can do is take some time to doodle in the dirt. While we’re at it; we pray, we think, we listen, and we learn to be led by the Spirit. The glory of God’s judgment is that it is not set ‘in the moment,’ but emerges from the full context of our lives.  Oh yes, He holds us accountable for our choices.  The Man who hung on the Cross in love is also the One who sits on the Judgment Seat.  But, in his infinite wisdom, He weaves all the threads of our life together.  He sees the whole picture, knowing why we did what we did, knowing how we might have made a better choice, and He is our Advocate!  It makes me want to shout, “Hallelujah, what a Savior!”

Here’s a word from the Word.  Notice the uncompromising Truth set in contrast to the amazing Love.  I pray it will give you the same kind of hope that I find in the promise of salvation and that it cause both you and me to be people who know how to take some time to doodle in the dirt before we take on all those sinners who live around us. "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives. My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him." (1 John 1:8-2:5, NIV)

___________

You are my life,

O precious Christ!

You are to me

The pearl of greatest price.

O holy fire,

Love's purest light!

Burn all desires ‘till

You are my one delight.

O conquering King,

Conquer my heart!

And make of me a pleasing gift to God.

I come to You.

I run to You.

There's no greater joy

Than knowing You.

My love for You will never die.

Jesus You are my life!

Jesus You Are My Life

Steve Fry

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