So we want to make sure the world knows it’s broken?
I see… We want to make sure we don’t feel alone in our brokenness. Because that is a scary thought, right? Being the worst… Being the most broken, the most messed up, the most hurtful and in-need-of-grace.
Okay, I get it. But you know something? You are the worst. And you know what else? That is more than okay.
Because of the one who loved us while we were the worst, the very worst. Because of a death-turned-life 2,000 years ago and the Love that started redeeming things the very second they broke. The very second.
Love was eager then and it’s eager now.
So you want to make sure the world knows it’s broken? Well, lean in close… it knows.
And will you hear another secret here? You are “the world”. See, the world doesn’t exist outside of us, it is us. We are it. And we’re all broken and breaking, but we’re also being restored and healed. Together. All of us. We made this mess together and we’re being drug out of it together, too. One sloppy hand-grip at a time.
And our role is the best, guys. The.Best! Those of us who have “tasted” heavenly things? We get to be the ones pointing out the Light that is Life. We get to go to the dark places and yank out the Good that is hiding there – that Good afraid to come out among the bad. Because this victory is achieved and now we’re just letting all the atoms know it. Every last one.
Our job is to feed that leaven, to water that mustard seed. Our job isn’t to make things happen, but to encourage what already is.
It’s happening… Let’s let that sink in a moment… Right this moment Light is taking over.
But you want this world to know it’s broken? …it knows, sweet, concerned, restless heart. I understand your motives and how much you love Jesus, how grateful you are for his forgiveness, how you want everyone to know their sin so they can be forgiven, too… But here is where things get really good: you do not have to worry about any of that.
You, brother, sister, get to rest in what he’s done for your problem. Rest there. And you get to trust that he’ll do the same for everybody else’s. Fall back and let go of needing justice because his justice is wonky and we like it that way.
His justice is a Dad running out all floppy-armed and teeth-baring with tears of joy over the disappointing son.
And I’ve worried, too. I have fretted so much over doing the “Right Thing” that I lost my heart. So concerned over “speaking the truth in love” that I forgot to love and the truth came out cruel, like knives. I bore blood when I could have bound wounds. So yeah… I get it… I wanted the world to know, too and that path is not the narrow one we’re meant for.
God’s kindness is bringing me to repentance. And I’ve learned that if there is Truth to be spoken, it can be spoken in actual Love, the way he does it. Just saying something honest doesn’t mean you loved. Loving means you loved. You bent down and joined the wreck before you spoke about it. You took hits, you got dirty, you forgave and took your broken heart to Jesus.
That’s what love looks like. So we’re to follow in the Prince of Peace’s dusty footprints and tell the world we have a Hope to Hold Onto And part of love is relating so we admit we’re broken, too. Jesus wasn’t broken, so he broke himself. Advantage us: we already come with baggage.
So let’s choose light… Let’s choose to speak Life. And when we have to say hard things – if we are needed to speak bold condemnations like Jesus did (which, family, was to the religious, not the “sinners”) – then like Jesus, God will give us intimate knowledge, an appropriate setting, words that cut without butchering. Until then let’s assume the Love that covers a multitude of sin actually does and let’s choose from our vocabulary arsenals to send THAT message.

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)