Do you ever think about that old song, “I Never Promised You
a Rose Garden”? The Bible never promises that Christians will always have
it easy. No rose garden! The Bible says that the Savior will never leave
us or forsake us. Even in life’s dark places, we are not abandoned. Repeatedly in the New Testament, Jesus was filled with compassion as he
confronted the lepers, the blind, the hungry, the paralyzed and the
desperate. As followers of Jesus Christ, our compassion takes us into
some dark places. We too confront despair, anger, anxiety, alienation,
estrangement, guilt, shame and sin. Romans 8 reminds us that nothing can
separate us from the love of Christ.
Out of Orlando’s tragedies, we saw signs, posters, pictures,
candles, crosses and notes. The persistent theme of the notes was a
longing for harmony, love and peace. I believe Jesus is the Prince of
Peace. He is the source of my peace. He longs to partner with us in
opposing hate, killings and terrorism. Jesus is my source of hope.
My job is to be hope with skin on it while I am on this earth. My prayers
reach out to the Lord on behalf of all the Orlando folks touched by these
tragedies.
Emotional deprivation is dangerous. Love is not paid
back, it is only passed on. The Bible says, “Perfect love casts out
fear.” Christian compassion does take us into some very dark
places. The good news is, “Nothing can separate us from the love of
Christ.”
Blessings,
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