"But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed." Isaiah 53:5(emphasis mine)
When I heard Glory Revealed sing these words to me through my Zune last week the healing began.
No matter what pain, what grief we are experiencing, healing will only come through Jesus.
My pain is not just mine. It is shared by an entire school, by an entire community. And I began to feel it while watching the 4:00 news two weeks ago.
The accusations against the principal of a Christian school struck me hard. Not just any Christian school, but my Christian school. The school where I work. No, it's not work. The school where I minister. My son's school. The principal that my son was honored to have lunch with last September because he received the friendship award for second grade. The principal who helped me with career goals, who gave me coaching tips. The man that just 8 months ago, offered me a job that was an answer to prayer. Praying for Highland Christian was the first time I prayed in this way, "Lord if this is Your will for me, open this door." And He did.
I spent one school year ministering to the students. Elementary, Middle School, High School. Boys and Girls. I listened to their concerns. I subbed in their classes. I prayed with them. I coached them. I mentored them (to the best of my abilities, with help from the Lord). I got to know them, many on a personal level. They are all precious and unique and I care for them deeply. My first concern when the news broke was for the children. So many students came to mind that would be devastated by this. The hurt, the betrayal. Will they trust adults again? Will this turn them from their Lord? I prayed for them, many by name. I awoke at night praying for the school: the teachers, the staff, the board, the students. No, my pain isn't just mine.
Today, after two weeks of hearing and reading about it, I am exhausted. I have cried. And cried. And cried some more. I have talked about it (yes, some of it was gossip). I have repented to my Lord and Savior for believing the worst and partaking in the gossip. Now I am ready to move on.
This past Sunday Pastor Dave taught from Matthew 5:43-48. He spoke of the four different loves in the Greek language versus our one in English. In verse 44 Jesus tells us, "But I say to you, love your enemies..." The word is agape. The unconditional love that Christ has for us. The I-love-you-anyway love. PD's words were healing for me. This man was my friend. I felt phileo love for him. I care for him and his family. What he is accused of is a hideous crime. Some of the evidence I have seen makes me sick to my stomach. Jesus tells us to love the unlovable. I learned on Sunday that part of my healing is to have agape love for him.
This man is still one of God's children. Although he may have stumbled, he is still my brother in Christ. Without Him, there is no love. It is "by His wounds we are healed."
