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| [Image by Frerieke] |
Fiction
My father's business is about confiscating murderers and locking them up behind bars for life. Mine is about setting them free for eternity. You see, he is an attorney, straight-up top level, scarred with the brutality of his own drunken father, and marred by the neglect of his natural mother. Growing up in the slums of New York taught him to be confident in pure daylight, but watch like a dog for the safety of his life once the sun goes down. But on the day they took his father's life away, he'd had the last straw. He slaved for two years ad then paid his way through Harvard law school.
How I do the opposite to my father's business still surprises me. I attend every court session. I look into the eyes of each murderer, as though trying desperately to grasp the depths of their emotions. After the verdict, I search for traces of remorse and find none. Sometimes they cry, albeit fake tears. Other times, they keep a straight face.
I write their names down on a small piece of notebook paper, and then I sign up to visit them on the next available date. During my session with each person, I tell them one thing, "If you believe in Jesus, you will have one more chance at life." To my father, this is complete foolishness, but to me it is the power of God.
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"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." 1 Corinthians 1:18
One more chance for the worst of all people, a message of foolishness to those who are perishing. If you think you're the worst person on earth, you might ask, "how exactly can God love a person like me?" But guess what? It is not your prerogative, but God's choice to love the most unlikely of all people.
On second thought, who are the worst of all people? So because we're not murderers, we think we deserve His love? Far be it from the truth. We classify sins into categories, we push definitions into levels, but all God sees are splatters of red stains on garments that were once white. There is none righteous before God, no, not one. Every one needs the message of the cross. Every one will get this one choice. And each one will have to answer one question: is this foolishness or is this the power of God?
Question for the Day: Have you ever felt that you were the worst of all people, doing things that can never be forgiven? Well, you're in the right place because you've got one more chance right now.
PS: Wow, I am so grateful for the birthday messages that flooded in on August 4th. I was so overwhelmed with your love that I didn't know how to respond to each message. For each prayer, for each well-wish, and for each birthday message, God will do even more for you, in Jesus name. Have a lovely weekend and be filled with God's forgiveness and indefinite chances at renewal of your lives. Would love to read your answers to the question for the day.
