Broken and Scarred

We're all broken

We're all scarred 

We're all guilty 

We all need healing 

We all need compassion

We all need forgiveness

We all need liberation 

We all need love

We all need the grace and mercy of our loving God

We all need to be forgiving, merciful, and compassionate to others who are broken and scarred.

I'm broken, working with broken people, assisting broken people in a broken world. When we understand this, we reduce the harm we're doing to ourselves and others. "Hurt people hurt people" is so true, but when we understand and acknowledge how deep our scars are and how we need to come together to heal those scars, the world becomes a stronger, beautiful, and more just place. 

I've been a taxi-driver. I've now been working with those experiencing homelessness for over 20 years. I've been in doing prison and jail ministry on-and-off for around 30 years. When someone's incarcerated, homeless, or struggling with addictions it's hard to escape their brokenness - those cuffs and a lack of a home are constant reminders. Most people I've encountered weep over their battle scars, praying for God's rescue and mercy. What makes me sad is that, despite their lament, despite their prayers, despite their repentance, too many believe the lies, and live in the lie that our visible scars deem us as worthless. It's hard to grow when the voices in our heads just echo the negative voices that continually scream "you're unworthy, unforgivable, and unusable".

What I've also seen are those who believe they aren't broken, have no scars, and are guilt-free. Flames flare up when people are in denial about their brokenness, hide their scars, and justify their sins as minuscule or nothing compared to what others do. On top of that, those flames are stoked with those who believe they're beyond reproach. The fire rages of injustice, brutality, and inequality when a mob comes together all sharing this mentality - it creates a "greater-than-them" divide that wreaks havoc on the poor, fragile, and oppressed. 

The danger of a power-hungry mob that doesn't admit it's own brokenness is its ability to crucify Jesus. They lynch people, create unjust policies, incarcerate who they deem guilty, justify the sins of their own, and get away with it. The strength of a mob that realizes their own brokenness creates a very different dynamic, it helps people have the courage to confront and challenge for the sake of others who are broken. The power of a mob can make people do awful things or it can lift up people to greater heights. Think about it: one mob crucified Jesus, but just days later, another mob moved in the power of the resurrected Jesus, igniting an unstoppable revolution.

Jesus doesn't call us to be like those arrogant Pharisees who stood together judging him in that crowded room, but like the ones who made every effort to carry their broken friend, climb the stairs, dig through the ceiling, and somehow lower him to the feet of Jesus. 

Jesus doesn't call us to be like the ones who stand for all to see proudly recounting their performances and thanking God they're not like "those people", but like the tax-collector slumped in the shadows crying "Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner" 

Jesus doesn't call us to be like the mob of officers and onlookers who were poking fun at him and cursing him as he was being crucified, but like the fella on the cross next to him who realized his own brokenness by saying to the other criminal "dude, shut up, we're guilty" and then in humility said to Jesus, "remember me when you enter your kingdom."

Jesus knows how broken we are, sees our scars, and knows our guilt, but he does not them against us. Despite seeing our battle wounds, he does not run away from us, but rather embraces us. He calls us to come to him as weary and burdened people, so he can give us rest. He invites us to touch the fringe of his cloak because he knows how hostile this world can be - he knows can fatal it can be. Jesus doesn't leave us hanging, he empowers us with his spirit. He tells us to wait on him, for he renews our strength, so we can mount up with wings like eagles and not grow weary or faint. 

Live, knowing that nothing separates us from the love of Christ and that he makes us "more than conquerors through him who loved us"...

We're all broken

We're all scarred 

We're all guilty 

We all need healing 

We all need compassion

We all need forgiveness

We all need liberation 

We all need love

We all need the grace and mercy of our loving God

We all need to be forgiving, merciful, and compassionate to others who are broken and scarred.