echoes of redemption

Jesus spent a lot of time taking the commands of the Hebrew Scriptures and turning them into heart issues.

Not working on the Sabbath became less about the physical act of work and more about the heart behind what was being done.

Adultery became less about where the physical line started and more about the condition of a person’s heart inside of marriage – specifically whether that heart was looking lustfully outside of the marriage.

Jesus didn’t have lists of rules like the Pharisees (who had books of rules explaining how to properly live the Hebrew Scriptures). Instead he focused on how people understood themselves, saw their world, and most importantly, how they understood God and their relationship with him.

Where the Pharisees placed heavy burdens of rules on people, Jesus said, my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

It was a revolutionary way of viewing the Scriptures.

It would take more time to see life change – because it’s working with someone’s heart, not just asking them to change superficial actions.

Change would be longer-lasting – people would change to the core of who they were.

And those are the kind of people who change the world.

It’s been one of my goals over the past six months to find beauty.

It’s easy to be critical.

To make fun of other people’s actions. Things. Looks.

Harder to find beauty everywhere.

Twitter actually made me aware of this. There are two pastors that I follow – they are both extremes. One is negative, judgmental and finds beauty only in the work of his own hands. (And it’s heartbreaking.)

The other finds beauty everywhere. He takes pictures of art, people, his kids – and brags about them. He tells people what stirs his heart to be more like God. (And it’s inspiring.)

So watching them made me very aware of my heart. And it challenged me to think about how I not only talk about, but also perceive the world.

Because there is beauty everywhere.

And when I begin to understand and embrace that, I get to partake a little in the divine. To experience life like I was designed to experience it. To embrace the diversity of a God so much bigger than myself.

And it’s beautiful.

With 1 in 6 people globally lacking access to clean water, there is already a crises. But the future doesn’t look any better.

60% of the world is in danger of water shortages or contamination.

And here’s why:

You can also learn more  here. And do something about it here: