Unfiltered

Why do I keep on suffering? Why are my wounds incurable? Why won’t they heal? Do you intend to disappoint me like a stream that goes dry in the summer? Jeremiah 15:18 (GNT)

Paul wrote: Now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face.  1 Corinthians 13:12

REFLECTION:
Sometimes, Christianity is about the questions more than the answers.
Sometimes, our faith is expressed in tears, or blank stares, or fists shaken at the sky.

Think of the closest relationship you have. Whether a friend, a spouse, a family member...think of the person you can be most "unfiltered" with. Then realize; that relationship, as powerful as it is, is a dim reflection of the power, passion, and fierceness of the love God has for you.

If we can be "ourselves" unfiltered with even frail people, how much more can we be ourselves, unfiltered, with God?

The Scriptures bear witness to this. You hear it in the Jeremiah reading above. You hear it in the psalms, like the one Jesus quotes on the cross (Psalm 22): "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

Today, may we have the courage to name, in unfiltered, imprecise and raw words, how we are feeling. God can take it. God wants to take it. God steps into that mess with you. That's the promise of the cross. God's not afraid to sit in the darkness with you, and when the time is right, to carry you to the Light.

So today, name it. Be real. Be raw. Be honest. Don't use polished "religious" language. God is with you even when...or ESPECIALLY when...you are unpolished.

PRAYER:
God, as you carry your cross, you carry ours too. Give us enough courage and trust to be honest with you, and give us enough faith to believe, however we can, that you will never leave us alone in the darkness. When we can't shine, Lord, shine for us. Amen.