Mercy for Ourselves, Mercy for Others

Brothers and sisters who are loved by God...

This is something that I say regularly: I refuse to draw a line for someone else because in God's mercy, He didn't draw one for me.

I am a sinner. That is something every person in all of history, will share. We love to add picky  little labels to sin as "this is mine, that's yours", "mine isn't as bad as yours", "I don't do THAT so I'm good" and "I try my best so you can't call me a sinner". SIN. It is a word that makes people uncomfortable but the harsh beauty in it is that it is the ONE thing that binds us all in our humanity. It erases the details and  levels the playing field. God sees it all as sin but the good news is this: We can't out-sin God's capacity for love and forgiveness.

What distinguishes each person is not the sin, however, but what we do after we acknowledge it: Is there a turning away? Do you walk as someone who has been forgiven? Is it a testimony to share with others who struggle with the same thing? What did you learn from it? Have you asked for forgiveness?

Now, not drawing the line for someone else means that I believe God's love is for EVERYONE. We are all His children, all created by Him, so why wouldn't that be so? With all the baggage we come with, and He's aware of ALL of it, He beckons. He pursues. He is an oasis in the dessert, as Living Water.

As a follower of Jesus, not drawing a line for someone else means I want to be a worthy representative of  that mantle. It doesn't mean I mindlessly agree with everyone else. It doesn't mean I keep my Truth to myself if it's needed and it doesn't mean I passively accept what the world says is acceptable.  What it does mean is that mine is to LOVE FIRST, to get through the minutiae and see the soul underneath.  In my flesh, it's not always easy but it's worth a dogged pursuit.  God doesn't draw the line  just short of us being able to step over into His love... but sometimes we do.  And we are far from being God.

The line to God can be drawn in many ways: Hypocrisy, dogma, pretending we're perfect and trouble-free or convincing people they can't come to God WHERE THEY ARE.  Jesus' goal was to ERASE lines so all would come to know the Father. (Sadly, not everyone accepted the invitation. That is free will in action.) When someone knows me, I don't want to be a line drawn but show what's possible, even as broken as I am.