Fear vs. compassion
Admit it – we all get a little creeped out when folks start talking about hearing voices. Reading about it is uncomfortable, right? (insert movie clip: The Exorcist)
For a minute, though, I have to take a step back and realize that these things happen, probably more often than we’d like to think. These are real people with a real problem, and they are hurting. Compassion has to trump squeamishness.
I totally appreciate the calm, loving way in which Neil deals with these folks. There’s no crisis; there’s no power struggle. It’s simply a matter of putting it all into perspective: the real authority is Christ, and the rest all gets sorted out accordingly. It really is that simple.
There have been a few people in my life who, although I never asked them directly, I believe suffered from what Neil calls spiritual problems. Looking back to the first one, my instinct was to run, and run far. Eventually, though, I learned to gear up (pray a lot), keep my focus in the moment, and not be afraid.
I was learning to stand up to a bully. The woman was actually trying to intimidate and manipulate me, and I can see now that this is the strategy of the enemy – to make someone live in fear who has every reason not to fear.
When fear wins out over compassion, I’m not living the way Christ intended. My job is keep pointing someone back to the truth.
No comments:
Post a Comment