taken her 'tramp for the Lord'
'it was at a church service in munich that i saw him,
the former S.S. (nazi) man who had stood guard at the shower room door
in the processing center at ravensbruck. (one of the concentration camps)
he was the first of our actual jailers that i had seen since that time.
and suddenly it was all there
-the roomful of mocking men,
the heaps of clothing,
betsie's (corrie's older sister) pain-blanched face.
he came up to me as the church was emptying,
beaming and bowing.
"how grateful i am for your message, fraulein", he said.
"to think that, as you say, He has washed my sins away!"
his hand was thrust out to shake mine.
and i, who had preached so often...the need to forgive,
kept my hand at my side.
even as angry, vengeful thoughts boiled through me,
i saw the sin of them.
Jesus Christ had died for this man;
was i going to ask for more?
'Lord Jesus, i prayed,
forgive me
and help me to forgive him.
i tried to smile.
i struggled to raise my hand.
i could not.
i felt nothing,
not the slightest spark of warmth or charity.
and so again i breathed a silent prayer.
'Jesus, I CANNOT forgive him.
Give me Your forgiveness.
as i took his hand, the most incredible thing happened.
from my shoulder along my arm and through my hand
a current seemed to pass from me to him,
while into my heart sprang
A LOVE
for this stranger that almost overwhelmed me.
and so i discovered that it is not on our forgiveness
any more than on our goodness
that the world's healing hinges,
but on His.
when He tells us to love our enemies. He gives, along with the command,
the love itself.
note: oh Lord help us submit to You (james 4.7) so that You can live through us
and BECOME MANIFEST TO EVERYONE WE KNOW AND MEET.
may i bear good fruit (do the will of Your Father, who is in heaven...matthew 7.15-21)
by doing what You say.
help me
LOVE MY ENEMIES
DO GOOD TO THOSE WHO HATE ME
BLESS (speak well of) THOSE WHO CURSE ME
PRAY FOR THOSE WHO SPITEFULLY ABUSE ME
BE MERCIFUL (lament and regret the misfortune and death of anyone who does not do Your will)
just as my Father in heaven is merciful (laments and regrets the same).
NOT TO JUDGE (ie. say of anyone in my heart, no matter how evil they are, s/he is bad!...but
pray for them and show them God's love and forgiveness no matter what they do!)
NOT TO CONDEMN (ie. to, as it were, lock them in a dungeon-no matter how hypocritically 'nice' i may treat them outwardly-take the key and throw it into hell vowing never to pray for or help them in any way!)
PARDON (ie. so i can with clear conscience pray, 'forgive us our debts AS we forgive those who 'owe' (done wrong to) us')
GIVE
GOOD MEASURE
PRESSED DOWN
SHAKEN TOGETHER
RUNNING OVER (ie. to the worst enemy on up...) luke 6. 27-8;36-8
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