Rude awakening

As I sit in my room I am overhearing my landlord and his wife scream on the top of their lungs in Portuguese. Granted I do not speak their language, but the tone and volume sound hostile. Not to mention this is a regular occurrence.

How do people live among other people with little to no regard for anyone but themselves? How do they justify this- does justification even cross their minds?

Beyond that, how do the radical terrorists all over the world just decide to take "justice" into their own hands? An elderly nun who has spent her entire life serving others is shot down and killed, but not before forgiving her murderers. Speculations link the incident to the remarks made by the Pope last week. The Pope, being "the voice of God" can not easily admit wrong doing, so his pseudo apologies have done little to soothe the anger of some Muslims.

Where do we draw the line between right and wrong in our dealings with other people?
Raising your voice in a heated argument may seem necessary at the time, but is it typically the least effective way to be heard. Do people consider what is more effective or do they simply react and reflect (or not) later?

In my pre-Jesus days I had a much shorter fuse, especially with Becca and my Mom. The people who had mastered which buttons to push were the ones to which I gave the least grace. Why is this? How did I rationalize to myself that being harsh with them was justified because they were triggering that reaction, thus responsible for it? When I reflect on moments in my life that I have been hurt, angry, or disappointed with someone I am struck by my lack of self control. In comparison to others I may not have seemed all that bad, but I knew the ugliness that lived within me. Are we all one step away from sounding like my landlord and his wife? Do we deal with each other in a way that truly gives the benefit of the doubt? Do we offer up more grace and mercy in the moments it is least natural to do so?

The only way I can figure that kind of love is even possible is through the love of Christ. Because of Christ's outpouring of love on me I am able in turn to pour that love out for others. At the age of 21, a nearly three-year relationship ended that pushed me to think beyond my life. I was finished being critical and unforgiving. I was fed-up with being dependent on someone else to validate me. In retrospect I never really experienced the kind of validation I was looking for because my-ex was not Jesus. I think back on that relationship and so many things make more sense in light of the Jesus shaped hole we both sheltered in our hearts. As my life began to take new shape I decided that if I ever had an encouraging thought about someone I would not keep it to myself, but share it with them (and in some cases with others as well). When I first decided to embark on this new behavior it felt awkward and silly. Over time it has become a part of me that I never even think about until someone blushes. What I realize is that my ability to build others up and love them beyond social barriers is directly and solely related to Christ living in and through me.
Days that bring me to a moment of clarity in my ugly behavior towards others remind me that when I am loving others it is not of me. The core of me- the sinful self- is not somebody who naturally and joyfully loves all people. The softness that I feel toward others is Jesus's affection for them. How blessed am I to experience that sensation within my being!? To sit still in the presence of someone I have great affection for and realize that is Christ's adoration is powerful. It is equally significant because I can imagine that same love is how Jesus feels about me, too.

Each day my selfish desires to further my will have to be abandoned for the perfect will of God. When I live in my will my life appears, at the very least, lame and ineffective for any deeper communion with others and God... and at worst I am only a few steps away from being as hateful to others as the terrorists we fear.

A basic human need is to be validated and identified. Christ provides that and will be faithful to do so through us who know him reaching out and allowing him to freely love others.