"Oh, that my head were a spring of water and my eyes a fountain of tears!
I would weep day and night"
(Jer 9:1)
How much I must criticize you, my churchI would weep day and night"
(Jer 9:1)
and yet how much I love you!
You have made me suffer more than anyone
and yet I owe more to you than to anyone.
I should like to see you destroyed
and yet I need your presence.
You have given me much scandal
and yet you alone have made me understand holiness.
Never in this world have I seen anything more compromised, more false,
yet never have I touched anything more pure, more generous or more beautiful.
Countless times I have felt like slamming the door of my soul in your face
and yet every night, I have prayed that I might die in your sure arms!
No, I cannot be free of you,
for I am one with you,
even if not completely you.
Then too-where would I go?
To build another church?
But I could not build one without the same defects.
And again, if I were to build another church
It would not be my church, not Christ’s church.
No. I am old enough. I know better!
-Carlo Carretto-
"They will come with weeping;
they will pray as I bring them back.
I will lead them beside streams of water
on a level path where they will not stumble.
(Jer 31:9)
they will pray as I bring them back.
I will lead them beside streams of water
on a level path where they will not stumble.
(Jer 31:9)
3 comments:
That hits it on the nail.
Good word, David. This captures the tension of church work nicely.
--and nice meeting you and your family this week.
Is not this a great statement of the Christ like walk?
(WOW YODA SPEAK)
In the teen cell group I led last night we talked about being ok with the unanswerable questions of life. Letting God's grace and mercy flow through a temperment of humility because when we act like we know the answers we become intolerant. I hope we can learn to walk with those who are different from us and even piss us off but still love them because we both serve Christ. "love your enemies as yourself" can only be understood in the context of having understood the other person and who the heck wants to do that
:( Dad
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