Tonight I cried. The tears started out, as I thought, for myself. Selfish tears of remorse that I can't sit in large groups of those people who know me best and laugh, and study, and talk of life and God. Tears because the last things in the world I want to be reading and studying are the sociology of gender and education. Tears because I just want to go to bed and forget the world for a few short hours. But as my throat clinched, and eyes blurred I realized another, deeper reason for my despair. "There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it lies heavy on mankind:" (Ecclesiastes 6:1 ESV) People are cruel, in the name of right, sometimes even under the banner of Jesus, they say and do things that are terrible, horrible. Things that make God cry. And that made me cry. My heart hurts, my head hurts. One for the world, the other because I'm no where close to going to bed. As I drove, and thought on the things that had been said during my previous study time a song with these words came to mind "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things" (Philippians 4:8 ESV) and how if I, and everyone else in the world, would take these to heart...well, that would be good. After I had sung these words through several times in an attempt to "renew my mind". I prayed for my friends. All of them. Anyone and everyone I've ever talked to or cared anything about. "And this is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled the fruit of righteousness that come through Jesus Christ, to the glory and pray of God." (Philippians 1:9-11 ESV) If you are reading this, this prayer is for you, and it was, I assure you, heart felt.
~Peace
سلام
