Once I have let the awfulness of this experience sink deep within me, I begin to talk to Christ our Lord about it. I talk to him about all the people who have lived -- the many who lived before his coming and who deliberately closed in upon themselves and chose such a hell for all eternity, the many who walked with him in his own country and who rejected his call to love, the many who still keep rejecting the call to love and remain locked in their hell.
I give thanks to Jesus that... up to this moment he has shown himself to loving and merciful to me (Spiritual Exercises 71)
This exercise can be a little scary, especially if your imagination is good. It's not meant to scare us howerver. The key to this exercise is to be grieved by the sin, both in the world and in ourselves, without being totally overwhelmed by it. We have to let this exercise instill in us enormous gratitude that Jesus hasn't left us in our sin, and left us in our own hell. He's given us his grace and a way out. In recognizing desolation we are more moved to desire and recognize times of consolation.
Using Composition of Place read and pray through the following passage:
Luke 16: 19-31
Meditate on the following passages if you have time:
Genesis 3
Revelation 12
Questions to Reflect on:
- Have sin and the effects of sin in the world ever paralyzed me and kept me from responding in love to Jesus by serving those around me? If so how?
- What are my feelings and beliefs about death and hell?
- In what ways do I feel I am still "alive" to sin? What sins do I struggle with the most?
- In what ways have I epxerieinced Jesus setting me free my sins?
Click on Comments to view Pastor Mike's Reflections or make comments of your own
1 comment:
I recently watched the movie Hotel Rwanda. It's a movie that chronicles the genocide that happened there a number of years ago where one tribe of Rwandans was trying to wipe out another. At one point in the movie, the main character Paul (played by Don Cheadle) thanks a brave news camera man for filming what was actually goin on there. The camera man responds, "I think if people see this footage, they'll say Oh, my God, that's horrible. And then they'll go on eating their dinners." I feel like that when I think about the way I've so often turned my back on problems around me, or hurt in the lives of others, or injustice. I say, "that's terrible," and just go on living. Sometimes I think the problem is that I've become desensitized to the pain of others. I see it so often, and hear about it. The fact is when it becomes personal I'm moved to action. Here's the thing that I felt as I prayed through this day. It's all personal. I'm connected to each person who's made in the image of God. Right now it's not too late for me to help relieve their pain. I don't want to get swallowed up by it, but I'll rely on Jesus to help me with that one.
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