Inside the Gate

It is so easy to assume the enemy is without.  Somewhere, anywhere but where you and I live.  We defend our walls with our lives, never realizing or considering that the greatest threat might be within our protection.  We aggressively go after those who are different, failing to realize that answers could be found as easily there as here.  We look everywhere for the adversary, forever puzzled by our lack of success.
 
London’s terror came from our own backyard.  The signs of ferment had been there for years.  The unrest due to an absence of hope was visible on the surface, yet I along with many others did see it for what it was.  Lack of employment opportunities, society’s hypocrisy, and few words offering hope all contributed.  Still we wonder how, why.
 
People down through the ages thought they were safe.  A group of eleven did, and yet when “Judas led the way to the garden, and the Roman soldiers and police sent by the high priests and Pharisees followed.  They arrived there with lanterns and torches and swords.” (John 18.3) They realized they were never safe.
 
It isn’t any different today.  Even if we barricade the door of our house and our souls we fail to deal with the hell each has created within their hearts and minds.  In times past we have invited evil, self being number one, to rest and recover within our gates.  We have nurtured the joy of indulging when we thought nobody was watching.  We have suffered the guilt, yet repeated the actions again and again, seeking what our souls thirst for – joy and peace.
 
Today is an opportunity to see ourselves fully and completely as we are.  It is time to acknowledge the evil within while reflecting on the beauty which exists as well.  Divinity knows exactly who and what we are.  There is no need to hide.  We are accepted, loved, and cherished.  We also have an open invitation to step into a world of community – for this is where joy, peace, and hope reside.