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Elizabeth Olten and Forgiveness

October 26, 2009 in Faith, Uncategorized with 9 Comments

Being home sick today gave me a lot of time to think about what today was going to be like for my youth. I was praying last night and today for you. Praying especially about the ramifications of Elizabeth Olten’s murder, for the things that would be said about the accused, for the many rumors and harsh words that would be said.

That was before I even learned about the death this morning of Bill Currie, a teacher at JCHS.

I hurt that you have to face such difficult life issues ever – but especially at this age.

But I can’t protect you from things that happen because the world is made of people who make mistakes, people who hurt others, people who are selfish and hurt others when they are hurting.

God never promised that bad things wouldn’t happen. From the moment God made the choice to let us choose whether to love God or to love self, sin has been a heart-breaking problem. Not just for humans but for God as well. God grieves with those that are hurting. God was with Elizabeth during that horrible evening and was heartbroken for what she was going through but also because someone else that God created was the one causing the pain. No matter what you hear, God does not cause bad things to happen.

I believe God also grieves at the way people are reacting to this tragedy. I’ve not seen such hate and lynch-mob mentality in this area before. The things people have said and have written about the 15-year-old suspect are fueled by fear, anger and hate. They are not the voice or heart of God.

I want to challenge you not to join in on these behaviors. Don’t be one who makes vicious statements about what should happen to the person who killed Elizabeth. Don’t be the one who says at the cafeteria table that you hope she gets what she has coming. Don’t be the one who points and says mean things to those who befriended her. They have enough that they are dealing with during this time.

Instead, keep your eyes on Christ and model him in all your words and actions. Vengeance is mine, says the Lord. And don’t assume what that vengeance will look like. It isn’t ours to decide.

In the hallways of JCHS, we need to see Christ more than ever. That only happens when you, Christ’s ambassadors, commit to being the hands, feet, words, and heart of Jesus. When you are tempted to hate, pray. When you are tempted to say something disparaging about someone, say something kind instead. When people preach hate, preach peace.power_of_forgiveness

“Confess your weaknesses to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. ” James 5:16

An event a couple of years ago that made a huge impact on many folks was the forgiveness given by an Amish community against a man who killed five innocent children. They also helped the killer’s widow and children. Their forgiveness was so different, so unique that it brought so much attention on that issue. By their forgiveness, not only were they able to heal over time, more importantly they were able to glorify GOD in all things. Read about it here.

May we also have such a witness.

I love you.  And I’m praying for you and our community.

Giving Jesus a Ride

October 13, 2009 in Church, Faith, Uncategorized with 2 Comments

Last Sunday, I gave Jesus a ride.  He was a middle-aged woman with a yellow backpack and a cane walking north on Highway 63.

I almost missed him.   After finishing the second service at church, I was running late for a meeting in Ashland, a little town 15 minutes away.  Speeding up the highway, I was on him before I knew it.  I quickly recognized the woman walking with her thumb outstretched as the woman who had visited our church earlier in the day looking for help. She was passing through mid-Missouri on her way from Portland, Oregon, to wherever the road took her.  After one night at our local shelter, she was forced to look for help elsewhere. So she came to the church.

One of our members visited with her and gave her some warm food.  He came and found me and asked me what else we could do.  I was getting ready to start our youth group so I told him that the shelter she stayed at was the only shelter in town. There weren’t a lot of options for her and that if she had a way to get to Columbia – a larger city 30 miles away – they had several shelters.  If she needed another day, we could put her up in a hotel and try to help her to Columbia on Monday.

I went on with my teaching duties and never heard anything more about the lady.

Until I saw her by the side of Highway 63.

I passed her by at first, a war of words in my head – “I don’t pick up hitchhikers.”  ”I’m going to be late.” “How can I pass her by after all I’ve been reading?” “Dang it.” “What if I’m suppose to do this?”.

After driving a little ways up the road, I found a place to turn around.  I passed it.   Then the war again and a second place to turn around.  This time I took it.

I sped back, looked for a place to get back on the northbound highway, and pulled off just in front of her.

I popped the trunk of my car and greeted her – offering to put her backpack in the trunk which she graciously accepted.

Right away, she started talking with passion.  And she continued for the next 15 miles until our ride ended.

She told me of another truck that had stopped to offer her a ride about 10 minutes before me.  And about the boy that was crouched down in the floor board of the passenger seat so she couldn’t see him.  And about how this boy jumped up at her when she got to the door.  She was angry and she was hurt. And I hurt for her and for the ignorance of these boys.

She then told me about her visit to the church. About how she was searching for some place to help her and she saw this big church.  Surely, she thought, a big church like this will be able to help.  Surely, she thought, a big church like this would use their space to provide a warm place for someone to sleep.

She met a man and he offered her a warm breakfast. She said that was nice of him because she didn’t ask him for anything.  Yet, it wasn’t want she needed most. She needed to be recognized as someone worthy of being recognized.  And we failed.

No one asked her name.  No one asked about her story. No one stopped their agendas and made space for her. She felt like an unwelcome interruption to our day of worship and playing church.  She may have received a hot meal and warm place for a few minutes but she didn’t see God among us and in us.

When I got to my exit, I pulled over and apologized for not being able to take her all the way to Columbia. She understood and appreciated the ride.  I got her backpack out of the trunk, helped her put it on, and apologized for her experience with us. I expressed gratitude, however, that she knew we were not speaking for God that morning and that she wouldn’t hold it against Him.

As I watched her walk away, I watched Jesus walk away.  I wanted him to stay, even if I didn’t like what he had to say.  I wanted to just be with him – even if we didn’t talk. But his time was up and his point was made.  Now what?

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