I have to wonder at times, if things get easier, if a persons heart ever truly heals or if it simply learns to beat differently, learns to cope differently.
I always wondered how parents remembered the exact time, date, weight and height of their children years down the road, I have always been horrible with that type of information, but now I understand it. I understand when something traumatic happens - whether for the good or the bad - there is something engraved into us at that very moment that allows us to remember the simplest of details days, months, or even years down the road.
For a parent, it's the time their baby took their first breath, that their child was officially a part of this world. It is a traumatic but yet exhilarating event that brings many joys for years and years to come.
For me, November 19, 2012 is forever etched into my mind, my heart, my body, and my soul. Unlike a exhilarating and joyful event, this is one filled with grief, one where the world lost a Godly man, where a family lost a brother, an uncle, a husband, and a father.
It is a day that will forever be remembered not for the joy of what was gained, but grief over what was lost, what I lost, what my mother lost and what my siblings lost.
I find there are days that are easier and then there are days that hit you like a mack truck speeding down a highway uncontrollably. There are days I wish I to hear his voice, and I make the mistake of listening to voicemails I still hold onto only to be unsatisfied, because it's never enough.
There are days I am reminded of the things that were taken away in that moment that I wish I would have the opportunity to experience. There are moments I have to question God "Why" time again and again, only to have that question go unanswered.
And then there are days like today that my heart craves to hug my father, to talk to him, tell him how much I appreciate him, care for him and love him - only to come to terms that I can't. There are days like today I wish my heart would stop hurting even though I know it never will, that it will simply learn how to cope and deal with the loss better in time.
Since so many people have put their two cents in over this Duck Dynasty controversy with the controversial statements that Phil Robertson made, I decided to go to the source, the actual GQ article and read it for myself and then form my own personal opinion.
One of the things that media tends to do in any given situation is twist a lot of what someone says for their own gain and benefit, or sometimes, to simply stir up controversy. Many articles since the GQ article came out have formed their own opinion, and without readers realizing it, they are forming an opinion based on someones already biased opinion of the article; and this is without even attempting to read where it all started from. Even the GQ article it self seems biased in my opinion. With this being said, this can go for either group, the ones that are against Phil Robertson and his beliefs as well as the ones that are supporting Phil Robertson in a blinding manner without actually diving into what he was fully talking about.
One of the big controversies is the things he is saying about the LGBT community...
While Phil is out in the woods with the reporter, this is where Phil, from my perspective, feels most comfortable. It is part of how he grew up, what relaxes him and what he enjoys, and because of that it is also where he feels he can speak freely.
One of the statements he makes is the following:
“It seems like, to me, a vagina- as a man- would be more desirable than a man’s anus. That’s just me. I’m just thinking: There’s more there! She’s got more to offer. I mean, come on, dudes! You know what I’m saying? But hey, sin: It’s not logical, my man. It’s just not logical.”
To me, that’s a normal, straight mans answer. No heterosexual man/woman is going to see what is desirable from a homosexual perspective, just as a homosexual man/woman is never going to see what is desirable from a heterosexual perspective.
Phil Robertson and the rest of the Duck Squad has never shied away from their Christian beliefs. At the end of every episode, every person watching Duck Dynasty is made fully away of the Robertson’s beliefs with the family group prayer and dinner that happens. The Robertson’s even spoke to A&E about the fact A&E would “bleep” words out to make it look like they were cursing even though they weren’t, something that Phil Robertson didn’t approve of and didn’t want to continue occurring, on top of additional things A&E was doing as well on the editing portions.
So why does it come as a surprise to many when this same bible-thumping man speaks about homosexuality being a sin? If you are a Christian, and a Christian that fully believes what the Bible states about homosexuality, there is no way around it but to call it “sin”.
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 specifically states:
“Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who have sex with men, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor slanderers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.”
It is this scripture that Phil paraphrases when the reporter asks him “What, in your mind, is sinful?”
Phil’s response was another controversial point:
“Start with homosexual behavior and just morph out from there. beastality, sleeping around with this woman and that woman and that woman and those men,” he says. Then he paraphrases Corinthians...”
So many are stating Phil is comparing homosexuality to beastality, and to a point they are right-he is, but not in the way they are making it out to be. What I see is a pastor, a proud bible-thumping man stating ‘look, homosexuality to me is wrong and sinful, just like beastality is wrong and sinful, just like women sleeping with many men is wrong and sinful and women sleeping with women is wrong and sinful.’
What many can’t grasp is that in the Christian religion - sin is sin. A murderer and a liar are judged in the same way. One is not worse than the other because both sins equal out to the same in God’s eyes - separation from God. But when repentance happens that void dissipates and you are no longer separated by sin from God. Phil is stating the same thing, only using different sexually immoral things that occur in the world today opposed to the example of a murderer and liar.
People are stating that he is homophobic, yet what people don’t bring up is in the very next breath, Phil is found stating that “We never judge someone on whose going to heaven, hell. That’s the Almighty’s job. We just love ‘em, give ‘em the good news about Jesus - whether they’re homosexuals, drunks, terrorists. We let God sort ‘em out later...”
It is a fine line, with Phil stating that we won’t judge these people but at the same time stating his belief is they won’t go to heaven. However, the word of God is just that - in Christian belief it’s GOD’s word, it came from God, past thru His prophets, and so the fact the Bible says these types of people won’t inherit the kingdom of God is why you have Phil as well as many others making these types of statements. It becomes the concept hate the sin, love the sinner mentality.
People are also in a uproar of the fact that he is stating homosexuality is the same as drunks and terrorists, but again, as stated in the above, to this Christian man, sin is sin in God’s eyes, which is the same with most Christians. Sin is separation, so whether you are sleeping with the someone immorally or shooting up and killing people, it’s all separation from Christ and all the same in Christ’s eyes.
The last bit of controversy that this man has been dealing with is his comments on the Pre-Civil-Rights Era in Louisiana and what he experienced. He states:
“I never, with my eyes, saw the mistreatment of any black person. Not once. Where we lived was all farmers. The blacks worked for the farmers. I hoed cotton with them. I’m with the blacks, because we’re white trash. We’re going across the field....They’re singing and happy. I never heard one of them, one black person, say, ‘I tell you what: These doggone white people’- not a word!....Pre-entitlement, pre-welfare, you say: Were they happy? They were godly; they were happy; no one was singing the blues.”
Now this is one statement I can see the controversy, the fact that Phil is stating to many people’s opinion - that his family as well as the blacks were on the same level during this time period, that in today’s society, blacks are the ones on welfare, they also are the ones that feel because they are simply black they have a “right” to things’. So I can see the controversy behind this statement.
I don’t however think it was racial or at least meant to be racial. We are all victims of our surroundings, and the same goes for Phil, we cannot judge him on what he saw or did not see growing up. No one can tell Phil that he didn’t see ‘happy’ blacks, that those black folks he saw didn’t complain, because we simply do not know. Not to mention the fact Phil was a child, 10 years old, the things a 10 year old versus and adult would see, probably are drastically different because our interpretation as a child and as an adult are vastly different. Phil is stating his view of what he saw during that time, does that mean there weren’t civil right issues for black folks? No, of course there were, Phil simply did not see that portion of it, and honestly I would think black or white, that would be something to be thankful of. I know many - both black and white- from back in that era that remember things they wish they did not have to remember and wish those things never existed. They also wish they could erase them from their memories, so having a 10 year old boy not experience the horrors of the civil rights era, to me, would be a good thing. The pre-entitlement and pre-welfare, was certainly done in poor taste, but again, I don't think it was meant to be racial, not after reviewing how he worded everything else and what I took from everything else. Unfortunately, the way it came out it gave the notion that he was saying only black folks have pre-entitlement, only black folks are on welfare, where I think he was speaking about everyone in any race about entitlement and welfare. There unfortunately is a large number of people, black, white, hispanic, asian, etc. that do believe they have entitlements, whether it's because of what they dealt with growing up, the money they have, or something else; many unfortunately do carry this idea they have a "right" to something simply because of who they are. There unfortunately is a large number of people as well, of all races, that take advance of welfare too, and it is because of those people that is sheds a bad light on those that truly need the help. I think Phil was trying to say, no matter who you are, back in the day there simply was no welfare issues, there was no entitlement issues, no matter the race you were.
The one thing I wish GQ would show is how the conversation of the Pre Civil Rights Era came about, as it is something just simply thrown into the article, it does not show any pre talk or post talk after this statement, and like we know, there are always two sides to a story.
Now with the uproar over the suspension of Duck Dynasty. Am I surprised? Not in the least. My first concept is, don’t ask someone’s opinion if you are going to then get offended by the opinion. It’s the whole “Freedom of Speech” thing. However, just because you have the freedom to say what you want, does not mean that freedom doesn’t come with consequence.
A&E can decide if they want to partner with Duck Dynasty or not, if the Robertson’s views don’t match up with the A&E Networks views, they can and will let them go simply for that alone. It is just like any other job, you cannot walk into a job and bash the company expecting to keep your job because you have “Freedom of Speech”. It is the same with TV Networks, there is simply no difference.
So no matter what your viewpoint is, no matter which side of the fence you decide to lean on, if you want to support the Robertson’s in this controversy or not support them, in the end that is your decision, but don’t base your decision on biased reviews of an article and side with that biased view. Always go to the source, always take away from it what your view is, not someone else's.
People are never sure what to
say, and yet they feel compelled to address the loss of a loved one. It comes
out in many ways, but the majority of them are the “I’m sorry”. There is then, that awkward silence because the
person grieving isn’t sure what to say. “Thank you” isn’t appropriate, who
really is ever thankful to losing someone they are close to and love deeply?
And so, the silence continues
until the subject changes or the two in conversation walk away. The majority of
those that are grieving don’t want a reminder that their loved one is no longer
here, as they are trying to simply put one foot in front of the other, living
each day by just going through the motions. Yet, all their friends still feel
obligated to say something, constantly reminding them what they are already
trying to process. That their loved one is simply not here, that they are
unable to hear their voice, unable to hold a conversation with them, or simply
unable to feel them by the embrace of a hug.
It is in death that we
understand the precious gift that life truly is. It is in death that we
understand that our time on earth is just a moment in the big scheme of things,
and yet we continue to take every breath for granted. We assume that we will be
able to take our next breath as our lungs release the one we already took. We
assume where we should not. We are never guaranteed anything, and yet we assume
we are guaranteed something that is so vital to our existence.
Our breath is what gives us
life; it is part of our essence, part of our soul. There is a reason our
Creator in order to give life to Adam and Eve had to breathe life into them. We
were created with a soul, with a spirit; in Hebrew the word behind spirit is ruach, meaning “moving air”. It is this same word that
gives us the word “breath” which in turn is what gives us life. It is with this
same breath we are told to rejoice, to pray and to give thanks in all
circumstances because it is God’s will for us. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) Yet, in the midst of losing a father, a husband, a
grandfather giving thanks, praying and praising Him is one of the last things I
wish to do.
I do not hold hatred towards
the Creator, but praising someone in the mist of losing someone so dear is one
of the last things I can find myself doing. I see a God that loves
tremendously, that is just, and can perform miracles if He so wishes to do so,
which He has done many times in my father’s life. And yet, for some reason that
is unknown, He chose not to perform another miracle for my father to remain in
our presence here on earth.
I have a hard time finding
myself rejoicing and praising His name in the mist of knowing my daddy will not
be a part of the things I so desperately wish he would be a part of. He will
not be around to walk me down the isle, to watch me get married or meet his
grandchildren - if I am blessed to have any of things. Instead, if that day comes
I will find myself walking down the isle alone, because I cannot foresee anyone
that could take the place of my father. I find myself with a mixture
of jealousy and anger. Anger, because I know that the special moment in a
females life where the father dances with his daughter is no longer an
opportunity I will have. Jealousy, in which I wish was nonexistent in me towards
those that still have both their parents, Jealousy of a sister, whom I love
dearly, that had the opportunity to have the father/daughter dance that I know, when
the time comes for myself, I will desperately crave and never have.
And yet, in the midst of it
all I am glad to know my father is in a better place. To know he is pain free,
walking on both feet while watching over each of us and praising our Creator in
the same breath.
Unfortunately I wish that
better place was a lot closer in which I could see him, talk to him, and hug
him.
 Most people on 9/11 can tell where they were at exactly when the first plane hit at 8:46am on that tragic morning, I on the other hand cannot. What I can tell you is I was in school but that is about all I know. My school was on the Fort Meade Military base, the closest army base to Washington D.C., and we were placed on immediate lockdown on a National Emergency level when word came of the attack. No one knew what was going on and with no news access and administration not telling us a thing, we were left in a state of confusion. Word slowly got around the school from students in computer classes that had searched the web to see what exactly had happened. By 10am the school knew what was going on and parents were coming to get their children in a frantic. I remember my father picking my cousin and I up shortly after 11 and coming home to seeing both twin towers lit up in smoke. I had no clue the ramifications of those events that day, or any idea of what was truly happening in NYC. It took me several years and a lot of growth to realize not just the implications of the events that happened on 9/11 but also the implications of what going to war meant. I don’t think a child, even a teenager can fully comprehend death at such a young age or the idea of someone else taking the life of another human being. We read it in books, we see it on shows and I think it numbs us to the concept of what it truly means. 9/11 is now a symbol to me of what it means to come together as a nation, to rise up from the ashes of what we once were and unite against hatred. It took me years to comprehend that people were willing to jump out of a building and kill themselves than stay where they were because there was no hope for survival. That in the end it was better to end life fast than to go through hell only to still die. It took me years to comprehend what it must have been like for the people on flight 93 to know they were going to die and to say farewell to their families and then in the mist of danger stand up and have courage to fight. And it took me years to understand the dedication, courage and trials that the police officers, firefighters, military, doctors and nurses had to endure on that frightful and tragic day. It takes someone special to place your life over their own, and it isn’t until 10 years later you see the numbers of civilian lives lost, children who have to grow up without their mother or father or both, firefighters, police officers, and soldiers all who lost their lives in the line of duty in order to serve and protect you and I just so I am able to realize just what it means to be an American. How proud I am to say that this is my country and that these are my people that stand up for me day by day to give me the freedoms I have. Thank you to those that serve, who have served and who will serve for all that you do, all that you have done and all that you will do.
I think it's important every once in a while to place down your testimony for others to see. So they are able to see they are not the only ones in the same place and that there are people out there who understand, who are going thru the same thing as well as people who have been thru it and made it to the other side. I hope the below brings hope to the people that need hope and that not only can they understand that they are loved but that they are also worth that love- something I am still trying to this day to accept and understand... <3 Mary
I was never the type that didn't believe in God, I just became bitter and pissed off at Him that my attitude was 'I will do it my own way and do it better than you'. I knew God, but, I didn't want Him. Obviously looking back now I see where that attitude got me. But, what I have learned thru experience is that sometimes God does allow us to make mistakes. Life isn't easy, it's full of twists and turns, and sometimes because of our thick-headedness God allows us to go down a path that He does not wish us to go only so we can see where it will bring us to. I had gone down a path so far and buried myself so deep that the only way out was to seek God's help or continue down a path of destruction. Looking back now I see the scripture 'everything works for the glory of God', whether it was in His plan or not, He will even use what the devil creates to form something good from it. I stopped going to church when I was about 13 due to church drama and a pastor that was so self-absorbed into what he thought was best for the church instead of concentrating what God was saying was best. When I left, a series of events happened the next several years of my life that brought me into a spiraling downward mess. My Great Aunt, whom was like a grandmother to me passed away and I became mad at God for the way she had to die and leaving me behind. I started to slowly turn my back on Him; skip a few years ahead by age 17 several things had happened in my life: I was sexually harassed by a 26 year old for over a year, blamed by his girlfriend who was also one of my 'friends' that it had been my fault. And unfortunately they convinced me to believe if I told anyone about what had been happening people would blame me. Next, my best guy friend had died and amongst all that and several other things I was suffering with major depression. I found a out thru self-mutilation and popping prescription pills, I had found the physical pain was less than the emotional and of course by now I had turned my back completely on God while struggling with suicidal thoughts/cravings, getting to a point that I had convinced myself hell was better than here. I survived thru a daze for the next several years, basically just not having the guts to end my life until things just progressively got worse and worse in which I just did not care anymore. When I went back to church it was as a 'last request' to my parents whom had no clue my plans to end my life. A man had come to our house to fix a fax machine, in which he told my mom about a church called Horizon (A church that Dave Cowan helped plant back in Maryland) and as she continued to pursue me to check out the church, eventually I did. I have learned thru my past that not only is God carrying you when you don't feel Him there, but you also don't challenge God either. I remember walking in talking to God silently, telling Him I was leaving the first moment someone put a false facade up- not really caring how you are doing but asking anyways. As I walked in I was blown away by the welcoming of everyone there, but it was not enough for me. I continued to challenge Him silently with stupid things: 'The first traditional song they play about how great God is I was leaving'.-- The first song played was Switchfoot's Dare You To Move. That was a complete God moment for me. I could not deny that God was screaming straight into my face. I don't know if you have ever actually listened to the lyrics of that song, but there I was, someone ready to just throw my life away, and lyrics that say 'I'm being dared to move, like today never happened, that forgiveness is right where I fell and Salvation was there'. I mean. Wow. I can't tell anyone what happened next, as all I can say is that day is where God met me right where I was, lifted me out of the muddy hole I was in and placed me back on my feet (though wobbly) still placed me back on them. It was a while before I came back to Christ, even then I was hesitant because of many experiences I had already witnessed and already gone thru but I was open to God for once, and a year later Dave baptized me. I think the one good thing I've realized thru this though is just because Christ is in my life and in my heart it does not make the road easy, actually, it makes the road three times harder, but what I do know is if I he hadn't screamed in my face, and didn't let me experience those things, I wouldn't be here today. God has taught me so much in such a little bit of time, grown me in many ways that I can't begin to even place into words, and I think the amazing thing is- I still have so much more growing to do. So that's my story- or at least a part of it. I just want to leave with one thing, never give up on Hope. Hope is what will get you thru the day, thru the week, thru the month and thru the year. If you have Hope, you have Hope that He can bring you out of whatever you are going thru, you have Hope that you are worth it, you have Hope that HIS GRACE is enough. You have Hope that you are worth HIS LOVE. Swtichfoot Lyrics (portion of it- not word for word) Welcome to the planet, welcome to existence. Everyone's here Everybody's watching you now What happens next? I dare you to move. I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor Like today never happened Today never happened before. The tension is here Between who you are and who you could be Between how it is and how it should be Maybe redemption has stories to tell Maybe forgiveness is right where you fell Where can you run to escape from yourself? Where you gonna go? Salvation is here I dare you to move. I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor Like today never happened Today never happened before.
I've been doing some creative writing, and in no way is this to replace Genesis 2 the book, just something that was a fun writing exercise and a new way to read the Bible for me merging two of my favorite things together as well as learning. Enjoy!
--------------------- In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth, it was formless and empty and darkness covered it all. But, God spoke “Let there be light” and it appeared, He separated the light from the dark and called it ‘day’ and ‘night’. It was here morning and evening were created. God continued with His creation, making the sky, the oceans and the land and on the third day God produced vegetation; plants and trees that would bear fruit. He continued at work creating creatures of the water, of land and of sky, blessing them so they may fill the earth in time. Lastly, out of God’s own image He created Adam and Eve to rule over the animals. He blessed them and told them to be fruitful and increase their number. After He saw it was good He rested. (Genesis 1) It was here Adam’s story began… --------------------- Adam could feel something beckoning him from deep inside, he had something filling him up but he didn’t understand it just yet. Awake and Arise My Child. A voice in the distance was beckoning to him, but how should he respond? He didn’t even know what he was feeling and yet he knew he was being led to the answer. “Who am I? Where am I?” The thoughts in Adam’s head were still his own, but could the voice he heard answer him? Awake and Arise My Child. As Adam’s eyes opened, his surroundings engulfed him with an indescribable amount of beauty. He had never seen so many wonders before, the colors, the light, the dark, the creatures, it was all so beautiful and it was all so new to him. Adam had no clue where to begin; He wanted to touch, to smell, to see, to hear and to taste everything. He wanted to spend every moment of every day in this foreign land exploring, learning of who he is and what everything else was. The voice had long been forgotten as his hands kneaded the grass he knelt on, the blades tickling him on the palm of his hands as a smile came to his face. “Your name shall be Adam and you shall take care of my creation.” Adam looked around when he heard it again, unsure where this voice was coming from, the words were not his own. In that moment God appeared and watched his child fall backwards, feeling Adam’s emotion that this child could not yet put his finger on. Adam felt something in his chest pounding and all he knew was whoever or whatever this being was there was only one word to describe Him– Holy. God took care of Adam in the days to follow and Adam took care of God’s creation. One by one he named the vegetation, the animals and every other living thing that God created and breathed life into. Everyday God walked through the garden with Adam and taught him the things that he needed to know. He helped Adam understand; He led him as a shepherd would lead their sheep and gave to Adam many blessings. But one day as they walked thru the grounds God had concern for Adam, walking side by side God surveyed His creation and saw it was good but there was something missing. “I’m troubled for you Adam” He spoke in a gentle tone to His Child with great concern and as Adam looked up at his Father he was confused. Adam didn’t understand; His Father had given him everything he had ever needed. As he watched his Father for a moment his confusion turned to concern, stopping in the middle of the garden, the sun penetrating thru the trees he saw a Father that was pure and holy. “Father, what more could you give me? You have blessed me beyond anything I could ever desire, you have walked beside me and protected me. All you asked in return was I take care of your creation, if I have done wrong Father smite me down, turn me to the ashes that I was once before because I would not deserve to live another day.” God smiled softly at Adam, reaching out He wiped the tears that fell down the man’s cheeks shaking His head at him. “Child, you have done nothing wrong. With you I am well pleased.” He spoke in a soft tone, a hand on Adams shoulder as he turned Adam towards the animals. “Look at my creation Child, you have taken care of them all and they have produced many blessings to me, but they all have one of their own, where is one of your own Adam? How are you to produce as the lion and lioness has, or the birds of the sky or the fish of the water do?” God watched him with intensity as Adam looked around. He knew Adam did not fully understand as his child looked into His eyes. Adam was sure he had the answer that God had been seeking but he was hushed before he began. “I am not like you Adam, you are certainly made in my image, and you are very special to me, but we are not one in the same, nor could we ever be, but I would like to give you someone who will be made for you.” Adam didn’t have time to speak before he had grown tired, feeling His Father’s arms embrace Him and slowly lay Him to the ground His Fathers voice in the distance comforting Him into a deep sleep. “Sleep my child, and when you arise you shall have another, for I will take part of you to make her.” While he slept his Father had been molding and shaping Eve, she would be the same as Adam but different in her own way. He took one of Adam’s ribs uniting the two in a bond that would be unbreakable and inseparable; He would be hers and she would be his. As God stepped back looking at his creations He knew it was good, His job for the moment had been completed as He leaned down breathing life into Eve and awaking Adam. Awake and Arise My Children. She shall be called woman, for she was taken out of man.
Power is… well, a powerful thing. It can help do great things in the right hands, but it also can do awful things in the wrong hands. Looking at recent events, Osama Bin Laden is a great example of what happens when power is placed in the wrong hands. Bin Laden’s reign of terror lasted two decades; blood was shed in numerous places, people mourned the death of their loved ones, and they screamed for justice that seemed would never come. Then we have someone like Mother Teresa, someone who was cautious and careful with the power that was given to her, knowing it could be dangerous if not used properly. Here was a woman that used that power to minister to the poor, the sick, the orphaned and the dying, who because of her love, mercy and grace was able to bless others while spreading the love of Christ. Mother Teresa is known around the world to this day because of her choice in how she used the power given to her and praised for all she has done.
We as a nation tend to define power in so many ways: by the amount of money someone has, their status in society, the position they hold in their career. We define power as being in control. But how often do we relate ‘Power’ to God? So often we skim over this concept and yet we have proof time and time again of Jesus’ power in God’s Word. Here we have a man that was born under circumstances in which His mother was publicly perceived as an adulterous woman. That if Joseph and the community wished, could have had Mary stoned to death. He was born into a family that was not of great wealth; a boy that grew up like every other kid. And yet it is this same boy that had the power to heal the blind, heal the lepers, raise the dead, and speak with an authority that held a Power no one had ever seen or heard of before. Here was a man that had the power to forgive your sins. It is this same man that spoke life into everything that we spat on, beat on, publicly humiliated and killed in a slow and murderous death. And it is this same man-whom we killed that three days later took His life back up again after He had freely placed it down in order for you and I to bridge the gap that was between God and us. We get a small glimpse of God’s power up on the Mount of Olives. Here we have a man who was feared by the Sanhedrin in such a way that they plotted to take Jesus prisoner in the middle of the night. To arrest Him in a place that no lingering eyes other than His disciples and the guards would see. Here was Jesus who never showed anything but love to these people, never gave them a reason that He would be violent, and yet He was feared enough that a mob of soldiers- 600 - were ordered to go to the Mount of Olives with Judas to arrest Him. It was in the mist of His arrest that the true power of God is shown. The fact that Jesus was feared enough to bring a mob of the best soldiers out to arrest Him, tells us just how much power the Sanhedrin already believed He had, but what happened during the arrest puts the power they knew about to shame. A lot of us miss this in scripture because the accounts of what happened that night are in 4 different books: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. However if we dive into two of the four accounts, we capture what many miss. John 18:3-6 Upon Jesus saying “I AM” the soldiers fell to the ground….think about this… When Jesus used His true name and said “I AM” it was then just a small glimpse of Christ’s power was revealed. Men who were trained, strong, ready for the unexpected had fallen-600 of them- all at once. But this wasn’t the only thing that happened in this moment. If we look at another account, we see something more. A boy… Mark 14:51 Most would miss what is happening here; after all we would just assume this boy had just followed Christ. However, if we do a quick google search we find out that the Mount of Olives is in actuality a cemetery, one that is still used even today for Jews. So who was this boy? It doesn’t say, but what we can derive from the way this boy is dressed, from the location of this place, that the boy had not followed Christ and His disciples to this place, but that this was the boys resting place. It was this boys burial ground. In the same moment that Christ said “I AM” 600 soldiers fell to the ground and a boy was raised from the dead. Talk about power. Labels: Christ, Disciples, God, Jesus, Mother Teresa, Osama, Power |
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