In a post on Scot McKnights’ blog (Jesus Creed) titled “Every Scar Has A Story,” Josh Ross writes of a difficult and painful period in his life. A combination of ministry stress, the tragic death of his sister, and other blows led to what he calls a “faith crisis” in his life -- a time when he wrestled with God. Journaling provided an outlet for him to address with God what he refers to as the “scars” that life had inflicted upon him.
Ross reveals that his experience taught him some things about scars. I won’t list them all, but one in particular resonated with me. He said: “Thirdly, we live in a culture that spends billions of dollars trying to cover up scars. But that’s not the way it has always been. Scars haven’t always been something to be avoided. In fact, the Jesus-story tells us that scars are stories meant to be redeemed. I think the local church is sometimes at its best when we don’t suppress scar-filled stories, but rather we provide space for these stories to be told. This isn’t for people to wallow in the misery of physical or emotional pain, but to point to the beauty of how God joins us as we walk through it. After all, when Jesus was raised from the dead, His scars remained, because they helped tell a story that is still capturing the world.”
Is it possible that we have we become too adept at covering up our scars in the body of Christ? Why are we fearful of displaying the marks of our healing? Is there any way that scars could be attractional to those outside of Christ? What creative ways could be envisioned for the people of God to share the stories of their scars in redemptive ways? Do you have any “scar stories” that you would be willing to share? I don’t have all the answers -- I am just asking the questions. What do think? (Joss Ross’ journal entries became a book he wrote entitled “Scarred Faith”)
Ross reveals that his experience taught him some things about scars. I won’t list them all, but one in particular resonated with me. He said: “Thirdly, we live in a culture that spends billions of dollars trying to cover up scars. But that’s not the way it has always been. Scars haven’t always been something to be avoided. In fact, the Jesus-story tells us that scars are stories meant to be redeemed. I think the local church is sometimes at its best when we don’t suppress scar-filled stories, but rather we provide space for these stories to be told. This isn’t for people to wallow in the misery of physical or emotional pain, but to point to the beauty of how God joins us as we walk through it. After all, when Jesus was raised from the dead, His scars remained, because they helped tell a story that is still capturing the world.”
Is it possible that we have we become too adept at covering up our scars in the body of Christ? Why are we fearful of displaying the marks of our healing? Is there any way that scars could be attractional to those outside of Christ? What creative ways could be envisioned for the people of God to share the stories of their scars in redemptive ways? Do you have any “scar stories” that you would be willing to share? I don’t have all the answers -- I am just asking the questions. What do think? (Joss Ross’ journal entries became a book he wrote entitled “Scarred Faith”)
God loves you!
Mike
No comments:
Post a Comment