The accusations were flying. You did this. You did that. It was your fault. It was your responsibility. Because of you… As I watched the accusations fly, I wondered if anyone could possibly deserve this much credit! Even though I was a bystander without any direct access to the situations that had triggered the barrage, I did know the accused. While it was hard to imagine why he deserved so much hatred, it was even harder to imagine what he could have done to deserve the credit the accusations implied.
As I watched, helpless to intervene, I wondered what he could do. I wanted to push myself into the conversation, suggesting that the accusations were inherently unfair. Something within me said that the accused was in a good place, more in control than anyone realized especially his accusers.
As the accusations reached their peak, I could hear the reflective thoughts within; “My enemies are wishing the worst for me; they make bets on what day I will die.” (Psalm 41.5)
In a surprise move, there was no response to the situation itself.
Without a trace of emotion in his voice, there was a pattern of response emerged. It was as if he took each spear thrown at him, grabbed it in midair and simply broke it. He did not dodge the spear, risking that someone else might be hurt. He did not catch it and hurl it back with force. He simply caught the spear, held it, and then methodically broke it into small pieces.
You say that I did, said, or I am responsible for _____ (fill in the blank). The facts records that my action was, and he spelled it out. We have different contexts to how we see this. I can tell you mine. What interests me more is what you would like to do now. I would like to move forward. If you are willing, I am ready.
He stood tall in my eyes that day. There were many ways he could have responded. Breaking the spears was not on any list.
