I ripped the lettuces. Shredded them in my bare hands and dropped them into the empty bowl. Then I dressed their nakedness with virgin olive oil and fruit-infused vinegar. Sweet and bitter whisked together . . .
Then I began the layering of tomatoes diced, radishes sliced, white cheddar cubed, parmesan grated, olives pitted.
Oh, the nakedness that needs dressed! Oh, the slicing and dicing and cubing and grating and pitting that needs done! Oh, the sweet and the bitter whisked together and poured!
All to make a salad complete—to finish and to feed . . .
Then comes the setting of table—the staging for feeding.
I pull out the plaid cloth napkins, colors crisscrossing. They will wipe our dripping lips clean, then they themselves will be cleansed . . .
I pour well water into glass goblets clinking with ice. A slice of fresh lemon floats. Cold meets warm and drops glisten in early evening sun, winding their way down, down, down.
A trail of tears?
Or weeping wonderment?
Or both?
I say “both” as I ponder the rainbow cast over our land last week . . .
Two plates mingle at our feast. They are for the birds fed at the same table by the same hand of God. For God made oranges and God made grapes and God made all creatures. And God made the mealworms to feed the birds who fly high, looking low, scrounging to feed themselves and their young.
With worms.
Should Man feast on such?
Should Man welcome to table the hungry for worms?
Jesus did. Jesus does.
Jesus welcomes all those searching low, stuffing full of everything but Him. Because Jesus welcomes those who don’t know they’re hungry, starving really.
Jesus shows us our hunger by dining with us. He is the Bread of Life. He longs for us ALL to stay at His table together feeding from God so we no longer stuff ourselves full with our own choice of “foods” that don’t fulfill but poison and kill. And what kills most?
PRIDE.
We’re all infected. The only cure is Christ.
And yes, LOVE WINS.
But here’s the raw, the slice . . .
LOVE and TRUTH are eternally married because LOVE and TRUTH are the essence of God. And God alone gets to define LOVE and TRUTH—not us.
God’s LOVE and TRUTH are found completely in His word which is sharper than any two-edged sword, separating chaff from wheat, false from true.
God’s word is supreme—complete—everlasting.
There is no greater gavel than the gavel of God.
God’s word will rule.
Therefore, we ought not worry.
And we certainly ought not fight anything God calls evil—with evil.
Two wrongs never make a right.
Self-righteousness and hate breed self-righteousness and hate. Then culture implodes and Satan wins the battle. Nevertheless, God has won the war.
All is progressing as planned. For God knows the heart of Man—and Woman.
God knows the forward march of culture and God certainly does not need Zealots fighting His war.
Zealots repel. The light of Christ attracts.
And it is possible to sit at table with worms when you know you ARE one. When you’ve been ripped and sliced and cut straight through and see yourself as you really are before a holy God. The hands that rip apart are the same hands that apply the dressing. And the heart attached to the hands loves all His creation.
See the worms? Do they disgust? We need not eat. But we can eat with the forsaken who eat when we remember who we ALL are without Christ. And we can welcome ALL at the table where we have ALL been welcomed by Christ—where Bread was broken for all—where Blood was shed for all—on the wood of His cross.
This world—this nation—this government—all are passing away.
Fear not. Love much. Stand firm.
Do not be bullied by either side of the fight.
Do not be tempted into prideful divisions.
Do not be tempted into hateful thoughts and actions.
Feast on Jesus, then go forth without fear.
Be bold.
Breed a culture of beauty with the power of God Almighty. He will be with you wherever you go.
Even when some hate you and try to snuff you out, just like they did Jesus, let your heart not be troubled.
Even if brought to the brink of death by those who do not understand and cannot love as Christ, you—will—win. Because truth is . . .
At the intersection where TRUE LOVE meets hate, we find the threshold of Heaven.
TRUE LOVE WINS. Christ has crossed over.
And TRUE LOVE will set us free to fall into the everlasting arms of our TRUE marriage partner who will never, ever leave us or forsake us.
So He promised—with His body and blood, given for us.
What God has joined together, no Man will EVER separate.
Amen.
He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8
One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”
“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God will all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
“Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and will all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions. Luke 12:28-34
“Woe to me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.” Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.” Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” Isaiah 6:5-8