SMOTHERING EMBERS

Honest is the water that can truly bind the burning wound. Without it in terms of seeing one's life in perspective, we simply play a game.

And if the embers of hate or other negative images smolder without ever being exposed to such honesty, we always feel the burning even if we don't admit it. Such is the peril of conformity to life's expectations where we let opinion be our lord.

In spiritual circles this is even a bigger issue. For there is the added layer of spirituality, which suggests and implies a higher state of values that allow us to travel beyond the pettiness of the self.

The only problem is that we bring to the house of worship and in our hearts all the frailties and weakness of our lives. Those do no disappear just because we hide in the shadow of the cross.

As a result, it becomes almost a soap opera of sorts when speaking of the social elements of churches. We go through the "we love everybody" antics, but in reality behind the smiles are all the smoldering sins that reside unconfessed in one's heart.

So we pretend too often and somehow convince ourselves that God accepts the lies we till ourselves. It is sad how we intrude upon scriptural truths by adding the seasoning of our excuses and prejudices. And the whole time we think because the Lord doesn't strike us down or we see the numbers in a church thrive that it has his blessing.

What a pity we must play this farce and do it at our expense and the expense of others. For the only thing that can possibly cool the smoldering embers of our negative emotions is the power of the holy spirit.

That would require honesty on our part. We can have healing or any possible blessing in terms of God's presence in our lives when we focus on deception.

The Lord will bring us to that spiritual pond where we can baptize our sight in new light. But if we stare at the reflection in the pool it will reveal all the ugliness and sin that we refuse to embrace in our lives. That can be such a painful experience for some. One that in no way actually is easy to deal with on a human level.

God doesn't spare us from this pain. For discovery is an important part of the process. Without it we gain nothing. We learn nothing and we never grow beyond the limits of our own fears.

Still many a believer has been brought to that pool and refused to drink. The image they see so disagrees with the illusion we have painted for ourselves that we leave the pool, excusing the choice for a variety of reasons.

For some it means they do their best to smile while the smoldering embers burn their insides. It is a form of death that kills the soul long before the heart also dies.