"Be Thou My Vision, O Lord of My Heart"
What does it mean to have the “vision of Christ”? It means to
see the suffering in the world, and to look for ways to alleviate it. It means
seeing past the hatred and selfishness that rules our lives. It means seeing oneself
as a vehicle of healing, transformation, and reconciliation. It means a life of
surrender, a life of service, a life of stewardship—taking care of God’s
creation.
What DOESN’T it mean? It doesn’t mean feeling victimized. It
doesn’t mean feeling like you’re under attack. It doesn’t mean feeling that, at
any moment, God could be conquered. And yet, because we’re human, we give in to
these feelings of hopelessness and despair on a daily basis. And that’s OK.
That’s part of what it means to be human. What’s not OK is when we choose to
give in to hopelessness and despair and then ask God to exact revenge on those who
we feel are persecuting us. Or to side with those who mistakenly feel
victimized because of their faith. It’s one thing to pray for those who struggle
with their faith; it’s quite another to uphold and/or validate another’s
moments of doubt and despair as a sign of solidarity.
It’s one thing (and a good thing) to pray for Kim Davis; it’s quite another to
“show solidarity” with her. The first is an acknowledgment of the human frailty
that we all share. The latter is surrendering to the satanic desire to rule in
God’s stead. Heaven help us when people who say they want to rule the most
powerful nation on the face of the earth bargain with the Devil to increase
their chances of success.
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