A moment of beauty and healing

Letter from Exile 14

God’s Word: Ephesians 2:8-10

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Reflection: 

A few years ago, I read an inspiring story about the “Cellist in Sarajevo”.  If you will recall the Bosnian War in the early 90’s, there was a massive siege in Sarajevo.  While in a bread line, a mortar hit and immediately killed 22 innocent people, leaving only a huge crater.

That area was known as Sniper Alley, and it was incredibly dangerous.  A gentleman, named Vedran Smailavić, was extremely grieved just like everyone else.  But what could he do? He was a musician.  His home, this once beautiful and prospering city, was now in ruins.  This is what he decided to do.  He put on his tuxedo, tails and all, grabbed his chair and cello, and sat in the middle of the crater and played “Adagio in G minor”. 

He brought beauty to the horror of this world.  And it gave the people space to weep, as well as a space to hope.  This is what Jesus did too.

He took his gifts, and brought beauty to a small part of this broken world.  Smailavić graced the city with this soulful piece.  It haunted and enchanted the hearts of his listeners.  He brought beauty to the horror of this world.  And it gave the people space to weep, as well as a space to hope.  This is what Jesus did too. He ran to the horror of this world—the mess and muck—and he brought beauty.  This is a metaphor for what Christians are called to do. 

Doesn’t it feel like we are sitting in a crater?  We stocked up on food, and now we are just sitting in a crater almost as if we are waiting for a flood to come or something.  Well, think through these verses with me.  Saving you was God’s idea. We are told he did so before the foundation of the world!  And he He did it not because you are good or moral—otherwise you would boast!  Do you know why He did it?  It is because He knew this moment in history would come.  Now “put on” your salvation and walk into those good works.  Playing the cello in a crater is not insignificant.  There is a moment of beauty and healing waiting for you to share.  

Prayer:  

Heavenly Father, I am humbled that you saved me, speechless even.  I am not sure what is so special about me that you placed your salvation upon me.  Forgive me if I have ever looked at another person as if I were better than him/her.  You saved me--not because of me--but because of you.  Teach me to rest in your love.  Teach me to walk in good works that you have saved me for.   Spirit, I need a new imagination to help me to know how to serve while I “sit in the crater.”  I want to please you, Lord.  Show me and I will follow you.  In Jesus name, Amen.  

Praying outside of ourselves:

• Pray for men and women who are in authority who must make difficult decisions about working conditions for those under them.

• Pray for the families who have lost loved ones, and cannot even attend a funeral.  

• Pray for Christians to remember that they were made for a bigger life than simply surviving.

Let hope saturate your soul

Letter from Exile 13

God’s Word: 1 John 3: 1-3

1 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3 All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.

Reflection: 

John Newton is famous for two things.  1) He wrote the timeless hymn, Amazing Grace.  And 2) before his conversion to Christ, he was steep in the African slave trade as a captain of a ship which transported slaves.  

Newton is really interesting to me because he was super dialed into how “bad” of a person he was.  In our modern culture, nobody thinks they are a “bad” person.  We might do bad things on occasion, but otherwise, we think that we at least have a “good heart.”  John Newton would have disagreed.  He simply could not shake the awful things in his life.  When he looked back on his life, he saw too much blood.  

“I am not what I ought to be, I am not what I want to be, I am not what I hope to be in another world; but still I am not what I once used to be, and by the grace of God I am what I am.” 

This is why Newton’s writings and music are so touching.  He is so grateful.  He is so hopeful.  Newton just can’t get over why God would save a wretch like him!  He is speechless!

He once wrote: “I am not what I ought to be, I am not what I want to be, I am not what I hope to be in another world; but still I am not what I once used to be, and by the grace of God I am what I am.” 

I think this glimpse into Newton’s heart captures the sentiment of what the Apostle John is teaching us.  We are children of God.  Yes, we are a mess.  No, we did not “work” for the right to become children.  We are children of God by His sheer grace.  Nevertheless, we are not what we will be.  Although we are children of God, there is a gap between what we are now, and what we hope to be one day.  

But here’s the thing:  that “hope” is the active ingredient for growth.  Our hope puts our longings and desires on a trajectory of change, maturity, and growth.  For instance, if I hope to be a good piano player, then it shapes my desires right now.  I am not presently a good piano player, but my hope drives me to sit down today and practice.  See how this works? 

Hope is the active ingredient for growth.  Our hope puts our longings and desires on a trajectory of change, maturity, and growth. 

My fear with quarantines and curfews is that we stop “hoping”.  Or perhaps our “hope” becomes trite.  Instead of hoping to become like Christ, we “hope” to finish the mini-series on Netflix by Friday, so that we can start a new one.  Our dreams and hope become so ordinary.  Because we can’t leave our house, our fervor to embrace our identity as a “child of Christ” becomes muted.  

Listen Trinity, was last week a bad one for you?  Were you cynical, apathetic, or indulgent?  I want you to look back on it and see “blood.”  Not like John Newton though.  I want you to see Christ’s blood covering it all, giving you a new day to love Him.  

Let’s make this week better than last week.  Let’s step into our identity.  By God’s grace, He made you a privileged member of his family.  Let hope saturate your soul and put you on a new trajectory.  

Prayer:  

Heavenly Father, when I am truly honest about how I spend my days, it would be hard to convict me before a jury as being a committed son of yours.  I am sorry.  I repent of it. I really am astonished that you have saved me.  Spirit, put a new hope in my soul and set my longings towards heaven.  I pray this in the name of Jesus, Amen.  

Praying outside of ourselves:

• Pray for wisdom for health organizations as they provide public guidance.

• Pray for parents who are wearing thin with homeschool.

• Pray for disciples of Christ to lean into their identity as children of God.  

• Pray that those in our church family who have been exposed to the COVID-19 or have symptoms would not have the virus.