The Walking Wounded

"But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me." 2 Corinthians 12:9 TNIV

THERE IS A WEIGHT to the Gospel. There is a mass connected to the story of redemption. It is in the dark places—the addictions to pornography, alcohol, drugs, power and control. It is in our propensity to blame and abuse each other, our greed and our depravity. It is the substance of these things that gives us a place to speak about the slow road to recovery.

When we find the gospel to be true and start to wrestle with the implications, it eventually brings us to a place where we must confront our humanity and know ourselves as both the walking wounded and the perpetually healed.

In our Church culture, there are behavioral codes set in place to give the appearance of victory. There are things that church people cannot talk about or engage in. But these things are, in some fashion, part of every church person's life. There are profound reasons why Jesus still carried the scars from the nails when he appeared to his friends. He was bringing the entire Gospel to his disciples.

Ultimately, it is our redemption, not our perfection, that looks unique. It is the way healing comes, how long it takes and who is involved that makes us different.

What scars enable you to share the entire Gospel with others?

Source: Relevant Magazine by Dan Haseltine