embrace of the cross ..

when the day comes that i meet the Lord Christ
i will be utterly naked
like he was
   on that cross

whatever i used to cover my self will lie shredded at my feet
   the makeup, hat, sunglasses
   education, religion, colour, class, wealth, decency ..
denuded
bare bones
soul all exposed
heart expertly scalpeled, its black cancer running free

there is no defense
no plea
no legal argument, justification, rationalization

just the accumulated thoughts and intentions, the piled-up words and deeds
the person i became with each added second ..

just me
and him

selah ... .. . .  .    ..

`|`

that's a sobering thought
if you believe in life past death
in God
..

i don't want anyone to see me

i'm dirty to the core of me ..
   filthy ..
thief
liar
murderer
adulterer
selfish
arrogant
hateful
addicted
harboring grudging revenge
wicked

i have shattered every law of God
made a mockery of morality
not an ounce of worthy in that skeletized me

..

nothing to bring
nothing to offer

`|`

and then

he will embrace me

like he did on his cross

just so

no worded interlude
no reminders
no humiliating looks
or pointed finger
no blame

simply embracing love
..

because
he knows
he's been there ..
absolutely

he became the scapegoat of atonement
but more
for he became
our sin
my
sin

" God made him to be our sin - he who did not sin - so that we might be made righteous before God " (2Cor 5:21)

the Lord Christ
thief
liar
murderer
adulterer
selfish
arrogant
hateful
addicted
harboring grudging revenge
wicked
.. ..    .       ..       .

he became my sin

and bore them away
in his body
into the Wilderness of Noreturn

Isaiah 53 ..
we despised him for that
we thought God was judging him for his own sin
and we turned away ..
but it was for our transgressions, our iniquities, our rebellion ..
mine
mine
..
that lamb of God

`|`

the embrace of the deathcross
becomes the embrace of Life

astounding
unthinkable
incomprehensible
it cannot be explained
   only accepted
   a gift with no explanation
   unfiltered grace

selah . .    .      ..

`|`

if then Jesus did that for me
   in my addiction
   in my drunkenness
   in my madness ..

did he for the addict ?
the drunk  ?
the glaringly hateful   ?

selah .. . . . .     .

`|`

somehow
somehow
we the church have to find a way to include 'them'
those leasts noone wants included ..
it may not be in our usual way of inclusion - the majority of us can't handle the assault on our decency

but there may be some of us
willing
by God's grace
to be assaulted
by them
for them
for Jesus

..


may the grace of the Lord Christ Jesus, and the love of God, and the embrace of the holy Spirit be with you