Hebrews 13:1-2
Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. 2 Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.
You have challenges in your life. You can look at them as obstacles or opportunities to get closer to uncovering who you are. How do you face pain, disappointment, regression, and stress? What do you hold onto? Are you holding onto the past, to anger, or regret? You have failures. You fall. You get disappointed with yourself. You face conflict. You may have done something that brings you much shame and feel you can never be forgiven by others or even yourself. Do your challenges and burdens weigh you down? Each new time you face these things you get another chance to react different, think different, become different. You get a chance to let go. You get a chance to heal and forgive. You do not have to stay the same.
The movie, The Mission, has two remarkable and beautiful scenes in it. The first is a scene in which Robert De Niro’s character, Rodrigo, is climbing up a mountain dragging a net full of heavy junk behind him. Rodrigo was a slave trader. He hunted down the natives and enslaved them. The self-inflicted penance was not for this; it was for killing his brother. Killing his brother is the act that wakes him up to the horrible mess that he is. He gets to the top of the mountain, where the mission is, and sees the natives. These are the natives he has hunted. One of them cuts the bag off Rodrigo’s back and releases him from his burden. The second scene is a scene in which Jeremy Irons’ character, a Jesuit priest, is carrying the crucifix while the Portuguese and Spanish attack the mission. The mission is on fire. The priest is being shot at and yet he still carries the body of Christ. He is shot, falls to the ground, and one of the natives picks up the body of Christ and continues to carry Him. Christ is carried in all the chaos.
Everyone has a journey that includes a mountain to overcome. Everyone is carrying junk. Some have larger piles than others. Are you needlessly holding on too things that you should let go of? How much junk are you carrying up your mountain? It is hard to face that mountain when you bring so much with you from the past. It is hard to carry Christ when you are so weighed down. It makes the climb very difficult.
The enemy not only encourages you to be a hoarder of junk and encourages you to add junk to other people, but he happily helps you do it. He doesn’t want you to carry Christ. He is trying to divert your attention, so you drop Him and don’t notice His absence. He convinces you that you can’t give love when love isn’t returned. You shouldn’t give understanding when someone is hostile. You certainly can’t forgive something that should be unforgivable. If you reach to carry Christ in the middle of chaos the enemy introduces fear. He tells you by doing so you will lose out, you will lack. It is so easy to complain, rant, be negative and feel like you have fallen short. It may be more comfortable to lean that way. But it brings only temporary relief and allows the enemy to keep shame, ugliness, and blame in play.
God is pulling you, pushing you and perhaps dragging you to switch that way of thinking. It is a slow process. It is done one thought at a time. In each moment you choose to carry Him you drop part of your junk. When you look at people and look past the junk, forgive, and reach out in love, you lighten their load. Choose to provide relief to others rather than adding to all they are carrying. Be the person that cuts the bag of junk off someone’s back. Be the person that shows them compassion. Be the person that calls out to Christ for help. Ask the Christ in you to help you see the Christ in them. What you carry you share with others. What are you carrying? Is it Christ or bitterness. Is it Christ or worry? Is it Christ or your past. Is it Christ or hatred?
What a beautiful gift to be able to carry Christ. His sacrifice gives you freedom. Are you taking advantage of it? Are you investing in Him? When all goes wrong and all is a mess do you understand He is still there? He is the Source. In the middle of hatred and fear carry Christ. Carry Christ and when you fall know someone else will pick up where you left off to help carry Him. Be there to carry Him when someone else doesn’t have it in them or just doesn’t know how. Pick Him up and proceed on. Proceed knowing you are honored to carry the Holiest of Holy. Nothing is larger than Him, not anger or deceit, not backstabbing and certainly no conflict. He conquered all when He gave it all. You have much to rely on.
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Prayer
Yahweh,
Thank you for opportunities to heal and forgive. Thank you for pushing me and at times dragging me to change my perspective. Forgive me for all the junk I hold on to. Forgive me for the times I fail to carry You and fail to be loving and kind to others. As I face my mountain and deal with my junk may I remember all others are doing the same. Help my heart to be open to forgive others and see You in them. Continue to guide me. May I always choose to carry You even in the middle of difficult situations, when dealing with others, and when chaos is all around.
In Jesus' name,
Amen
Scene from The Mission
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