It Could Have Been Me

As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust. (Psalm 103:13, 14 NIV)

Wow.  I read a powerful devotion this morning related to the Boston bombing.  It wasn't comforting... it was convicting.  It may be too soon to allow it to sink in.  I left it after starting to read it, but was drawn back to finish it.  Here is a little bit of it.  It is written by a UCC Stillspeaking Daily Devotional writer, Mary Luti who is a theological school professor:

No "monster" did this. A human being did it, one not as distant from us as we need to believe. We ourselves did not plant the bombs, but we could have. Another person planted them, but he might not have; he might have done good instead, because he was and still is capable of it. You may not want to hear this about that person, or about yourself. I don't like thinking of myself this way. But it's a denial we cannot afford anymore. This is a truth we need to know and build on.
It's damaging to the quest for peace to keep carving out exceptional cities, exceptional tragedies, exceptional monsters, and postures of exceptional morality and innocence. The world's healing depends in part on owning our intimate kinship with the enemy—the one out there, the one within. God speaks our names in the same breath.
Jesus said to love him. That's the heart of the gospel, but it's a lot to ask. Let's start with a confession of our own dust, and go from there.

Peace and healing start with acknowledging that it could have been us.  Oh, maybe not the way we are now.  But what if our parents had taught us to hate ourselves and others?  What if we had been brought up in a desparately poor country riddled with violence?  What if we hadn't had the love and the privilege and the plenty-of-everything rained down upon us all our lives?  The possibility is in us. There is our choice, yes.  But it's more complicated than that.  A person who has had a wonderful, loving life rarely chooses to kill.  But one who has learned to hate may.  It it could have been me or you.  It's in us.

The most powerful statement I found in that devotion was "the world's healing depends in part on owning our intimate kinship with the enemy - the one out there, the one within."  We cannot fully heal from things like this until we acknowledge this.  It's hard.  And as related to the bombings, probably too soon.  But let it roll around in your head and your heart.  There is a profound truth here.

Lord Jesus,
You didn''t ask us to only love those who do good.  You said to love our enemies as well.  We confess it is often too difficult.  Help us to "confess ou own dust, and go from there."  Amen.

Joys:  Profound words that convict, but help me to grow; weddings, weddings, weddings!; Spring

*I highly recommend the Still Speaking Daily Devotionals.  If you would like to subscribe, here is a link: http://www.ucc.org/feed-your-spirit/daily-devotional/