About 6,600 miles east of here (about 14 hours by flight), the
world just stopped, for 25 hours.
Airports and roadways cleared.
With the setting sun, radio and
television broadcasts went silent.
Was it a cyber attack?
No.
An electromagnetic pulse?
Nope. Well, kind-of. Nothing to do with electromagnetic, but
it did have something to with a pulse.
Huh?
The whole nation shut down...on purpose.
To check their pulse.
To see where they stood and repent for standing where they shouldn’t.
They stopped for a day, to do one thing…to say, “Sorry. Forgive
me.”
Reportedly, about 60% of the nation would fast and pray.
Imagine that.
What if America went silent? What if the airports and
roadways cleared for a day? What if media went silent? What if from sunset to
sunset we checked our pulse to see where we stood with our sister and brother?
What if we asked forgiveness? Gave the same. And honestly
prayed for one another.
Maybe that’s asking too much. I mean, to imagine something like
this for our entire nation may just be a dream.
But, I figure, if millions around the world and the
whole nation of Israel can do it, maybe, just maybe, I can too.
Lord knows I need to.
My heart’s often not right.
Many times I’ve stood and said and done what I shouldn’t.
I desperately need to check my pulse. To see where I stand
and repent for standing where I shouldn’t.
Jesus says if we come to the altar and remember we have
ought with another, we should be reconciled first and then return to the altar.
Again, He says, to forgive, or we won’t be forgiven.
I’m convinced that what we need isn’t more legislation or
education, but a change of heart.
So today, right here, right now, in the shadow of the
holiest day on the Jewish calendar – Yom Kippur – or the Day of Atonement, I
say to you, “Sorry. Forgive me.”
No matter where you stand
No matter what you’ve said or done
It doesn’t matter how you believe
It makes no difference how you vote
I don’t care about your color
I want you to know,
You’re my son, my daughter, my sister, my brother…my family
I love you.
I hold no ought against you
Maybe it’ll just last a day
Maybe tomorrow I'll want to punch you in the mouth
But for today, right now
I’ll focus on cleaning my house—not yours.
And perhaps just maybe, tomorrow
The Lord will grant us another day
Forgive our sins
And heal our land
2 comments:
Amen, Doug! We all need to take time out to check our own pulse, not that of another's.
Blessings!
Wow, "just for today I'll focus on cleaning my house, not yours." So powerful, Doug. I taught for a year at an Orthodox Hebrew school here in Seattle and was warmly welcomed as the only Christian there. Those folks became some of my dearest friends.
Yes, we have much to learn by their posture and practices. Well done.
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