The Ways of Love
The king sulked when he could not wrangle the vineyard.
The queen took action.
An innocent man was framed and murdered.
Elijah warned that such foul deeds will be punished.

Injustice angers us.
History is full of scoundrels and victims.  The poor cry out to God.  These stories are old.  We wonder when justice will reign.  Our hearts get hard even as we try to stay faithful.

Our justice is tied to scales and measures.  Damages are weighed.  We inspect the fine print to uncover hidden agendas and devious motives.  Creeping along, we try to avoid harm.

Naturally, your words shock us.
Love my enemies.  Do not retaliate.  Serve those in need.  Leave the door open to those who injure me.  Give myself away. Forgive as I am forgiven.

The old commandment was tough enough: curb this hunger for revenge and measure our response.
But the new commandment is astounding.  How can we do the impossible?

Often we miss what surrounds us.
You set us down in a sea of love.
Yet we look past it again and again.
Without realizing how it has been with us from the beginning.
We trust our buckets.
But you give us the ocean.

Entering into these words is like wading into the ocean.
Surrounded by new life.  My clenched hands get slippery.
I laugh and am washed new.

God, disarm our hearts.
Teach us to become vulnerable and fearless.
You love us to excess.
So we can give ourselves away without running dry.