In the midst news coverage exposing Bristol Palin’s teen pregnancy, I am stand at a fork in the road, asking this question: How do I continue to despise sin while accepting and reaching out to the one who sins? One the one hand, I readily desire to embrace sinful people [and myself] in love and forgiveness. On the other, I find myself becoming more and more comfortable and desensitized to sin… I become okay with it. Divorce, teen pregnancy, and lying – God hates them all – and yet, I so easily dismiss them. Vice Presidential candidate, Sarah Palin’s daughter, Bristol, made a mistake, like we all do… so I can understand that. I can sympathize with small amounts of willpower, self-control and making poor decisions. I can especially identify with being painfully exposed in my sin by the pure, gracious Light of God. But all too often, I find myself inviting sin in for an afternoon tea. I am numb to the wrongness and ugliness of disobeying God. What to do?
My only conclusion is that God has the equilibrium in this dangerous tightrope walk. Jesus does not throw stones at the sinful woman, yet he overturns the tables of the money-changers. He cares for the Samaritan woman, though she’s had five “husbands.” And if God has this ability, then doesn’t He also want me to have it and also have the ability to give it to me?
Pray that I would be able to love people toward holiness. Pray also that others would love me toward that too.
