Monday, August 17, 2015

Thoughts of Confederate Monuments

There has been much public and private debate in recent months about confederate monuments.  In the part of the world where I call home,  you will find a confederate monument in most every community to the soldiers who served during the civil war.   Politicians in my home state have passed legislation about confederate monuments.    The purpose of this blog is not to discuss whether confederate monuments should be removed or not removed;  rather, it is to make the observation that there are things in the history of all people that we regret.

The Bible is filled with the stories of people and does not hide their warts, their sins, their regrets, their mistakes, and their  blemishes.  We hear not only that Moses was called to lead to freedom  the Israelites from the bonds of slavery in Egypt, but that he also murdered an Israelite.  We see that Peter was the “rock” of the church, but that he denied Jesus three times.   Paul was not only the great missionary, but he also was party to the death and martyrdom of Stephen.    While we struggle with our history as a country and a community,  the Bible presents people in  the reality of their goodness and badness.  While we might call some of the shows that we see “reality television”, the Bible presented reality about people before reality television ever came into vogue.   The Bible shows the history of people with their imperfections for one good reason:  to show how our great, glorious God is able to use people despite who they are and what they do.  And to think that the Bible not only shows the truth about people, but it also tells us about a God in Christ who is “filled with grace and truth.”    Have a joy-filled week.--  Pastor Randy Wall



Prayer:    O God,  I thank you that you love us despite what we have done and have been in our past and our present.  Transform us, through the power of your Spirit, to be the people you have called us to be;  through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.  

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