Hole Hearted
We all recognise there is a space in our lives that needs filling. Our search for that answer, our search for having that need met takes us to many places. We seek fulfilment in relationships, in sports, study, activities. But our hearts were made for God. And without Him, all is empty.
Augustine, a leader in the early church and an enormous influence to Christianity hit right on the mark when he wrote,
“You have made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in You.”
Augustine was a man who experimented with the wide gamut of spiritual experiences open to him at the time he lived. He tried looking for answers in the pleasures of the world, in academic knowledge, in mystical religious ceremonies. But he found all these things to be empty. And so empty he remained, until he met and was filled by God.
While Augustine was writing 1700 years ago, what he wrote holds true even today in our lives. It’s only when the space in our hearts is filled with God that our lives are complete. It’s only then that our souls sing with joy. It’s only then that we know why we have been created. It’s only then that we can see the world as it truly is, and know how to live as we’re truly meant to live.
This is because our hearts have a God-shaped space and longing that only God can fill and satisfy.
Don't Play Favourites!
It’s so easy to show favouritism. It must be part of our sinfulness that we choose to like some people more than others. And often, that choice is not based on anything that is of importance or great significance. It’s something trivial and inconsequential like what they look like, what sort of clothes they have, where they live, or what school they go to.
As a general rule, God does not want us to show favouritism anywhere. But in particular, God abhors favouritism shown within the context of His Church. When we choose to like some people and treat them better than others, we are raising ourselves into a position where we do not belong. We are making ourselves judge not only over the other people, but also God who has created those people. We are saying that we have the right to determine who we think deserves our care and attention in Church. And we are also saying that we have the right to reject and downplay the value and worth of individuals whom God has created.
So the bottom line?
Don’t play favourites!
Radical Restoration
It’s never easy to forgive. And even harder is it to forget and go back to what once was. The way of the world is to discard people who make mistakes and fail. Completely opposite to this is the way of Christians living in God’s community.
It’s hard to forgive and forget. Especially when we ourselves bear the brunt of the damage. But when someone in our community falls, God wants us to restore them. Of course, this restoration is not about an unquestioning re-appointment of where they were previously. Sometimes, certain types of failure go hand in hand with a forfeiture of stations or official positions held beforehand. However, the issue of restoration is about one of acceptance back into the community. No matter how heinous the deed, we must never ostracise them as a community of believers. We should always be ready to forgive and restore them into natural communion with the rest of the community.
