Rocks II

This is the second commentary on the Can'tForgive.Com series which is slated to end on All Saint's Day.  These reflections have been entitled "Rocks" and Pastor Bill threw around a few this last "Olah" service.  I was so proud I had been faithful in completing the assignment, so I brought my rocks to show Pastor before the service.  I had my Lava rock marked with an "S" for the rock I was carrying from my past employer and I had my wife's rock, the smooth, bu broken, river rock, approximately 3 lbs., labeled with an "E" for that person who had burned her badly. (There are stories  which go with each of these of course, the Lava rock reminding me of Elihu-another story, and the broken, river rock which we'd decided stood for an individual, but after we thought about it,"Everybody"-yet another story).

As you recall, 'Olah' refers to burnt sacrifice and that's what this service was all about: scarring the masterpiece which is both ourselves and those around us. Pastor Bill lost no time in recognizing those who had brought rocks but he warned, "One person brought two rocks and we only want one".  I had just gotten burned.  He hadn't given me time to mention the second rock was for my wife and since we were "everyday missionaries" just like Adam and Eve, and I was helping her out, (just like Adam helped Eve, a lesson we still haven't learned).  But the rocks kept flying around as his (pastor's) wife softly corrected him"it was the Pacific, not the Atlantic" and he covered himself immediately with "but it wraps around".  At 'Olah' EVERYBODY gets burned! The point is, that even if we don't intend to hurt someone, we "unintentionaly do" scarring their sense of self-worth turning their invaluable Mona Lisa masterpiece, into a 'moaning Lisa' by committing a crime which can't ever be forgiven, except of course, by THE Rock.

Pastor Bill related a personal experience where a coffee waitress had so many crimes committed against her that she didn't value herself as a person at all, only a piece of property that tolerated crime after crime against her accepting this as her destiny.  Of course, this is an old story, which began when Adam said, "She made me do it".

Next week, since all these crimes have been committed, we rebel!  We become the plaintiff in a court of true justice where theplaintiff does not become the victim.  We are taking our case before God Himself and we will have a workbook to sort it all out, simple step by simple step.  I'm excited!  I've been burned so many times and now I can have my say, just like Elihu in Job.  Except, unlike Elihu, I'm learning, but have not yet become....to even comrehend, much less believe... in the miraculous, power of God.  Thank you, Pastor, for a most invigorating journey!