The meeting had all the potential to be a great one. We had the right players, chaos as to where we were going to meet, and a controversial subject. However, potential rarely turns into reality though when people are in charge.
More people arrived than the maximum allowed in the room, in fact there were twice as many. The promised agenda never arrived and was never prepared, so the form and sequence of our conversation at best wandered. The level of detail, preparedness, and understanding of the subject varied widely. However, this was not was made the meeting good or bad, successful or a waste of time.
Criticism and condescending remarks were the norm, not the exception. There is no other way to describe it; the meeting was ugly. The time that followed got even worse. It was as if the nose of critical remarks was around everyone's neck and I was no exception!
“And where does that leave you when you condescend to a sister?” (Romans 14.10) Yesterday, I came away wondering why the situation required any of my remarks. I do believe that there was an alternative way of expressing the situation and my lack of confidence how things were going to change in the future. I was left, after all the condescension and criticism, realising that I had spent my day building walls between myself and others as well as myself and God. It was ugly.
God gives you and I the mysterious gift of unconditional acceptance, mercy, and love knowing that we have spit on him in the past and will, in all probabilities, continue to do so no matter what we say or promise. God treats us a special individuals, priceless in fact. Our intelligence is assumed and respected. Our freedom of choice is guaranteed.
Today is a fresh opportunity to give away what God freely gives to us. We can be a hand of God’s, a touch of love, mercy, grace, and acceptance in another’s life. We can make a difference. Beauty is as close as our fingertips and lips.
