jars of clay . only alive

Though my heart has been torn by loves I have worn
And I'm tempted by them ever still
I tremble inside when you walk in the room
You hold my affections and will

i felt like i could just sleep the day away. and i think i almost did, after sleeping for twelve hours and waking up still feeling tired. if only we could take a break like that in our faiths -- rest a little bit, hibernate a bit and wake up more energized, ready to face the world.

but we're not allowed to do that. there's no pause in life -- if you fall, gravity overcomes, and if you rise... well, grace abounds.

i've been thinking a lot about the phrase, "love the sinner, hate the sin." but when Jesus preaches about it, He always brought forth commandments of love. If anyone says, "I love God," but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is a liar; for if we don't love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we have not seen? -- 1 John 4:20. as humans, is it ever really possible to hate sin like God does, yet love someone like God does at the same time? so many times i find it easy to love in a fair weathered reality -- when sins are considered acceptable, not 'that' bad, easy to turn a blind eye to. but that's not the love that Jesus preaches.... so many times i feel my judgemental eyes associate sin with people, and justify it with just that -- hate the sin.

does it mean we turn a blind eye? no. but it remains that we stay in just that.... a posture of humility. above all to love one another. what happens when that friend tells you she's been drinking the past two months? or that relative says he really did have that affair? or when that brother or sister confesses something unthinkable?




love the sinner
and maybe, we'll start at that.