Healing Rays of Righteousness

Hope Overflows

Not only does Christian HOPE overcome difficult and painful experiences, as expressed in last week’s blog, but HOPE also can and should overflow from us, as expressed by the psalmist David, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” (Psalm 23:5-6).

Paul concludes his theological letter to the Romans with this benediction in 15:13; “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

I fondly remember happily singing the children’s song, “Running over, running over; My cup is full and running over. Since the Lord saved me, I am happy as can be; My cup is full and running over.”

Christian hopefulness is rooted in a belief that there is purposeful movement in history towards a future filled with meaning. However, such “good news” is falling on ears deafen by the loud social media noises of twisted, deceptive understandings of biblical texts to amplify and attract the masses for political gain.

In chapter 3 of “FULLY ENGAGED – Missional in an Anabaptist Voice” (Herald Press, 2015), Alan Kreider suggests four things in our church history that have made it so hard to talk about our faith with each other and with non-Christians. They are Christendom, Mennonite Christendoms, the Enlightenment, and Postmodernity. And I would add “Christian Nationalism” as an increasing threat, derailing many with its intoxicating marriage of church and state.

After an interesting review of these influences, Alan states that a way forward for us Mennonites is to reconfigure the way we speak the good news.

“Conventional panaceas lead to despair, but the way of Christ leads Christians to “overflow with hope.”  And the presence of hope always elicits questions. The New Testament writers do not tell their readers to “evangelize” others. They tell them to live with hope. And if we have hope, and express that hope in deviant behavior, people will ask questions that lead to testimony. Peter puts this in classic form when he writes, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” (1 Pt. 3:15).  If we act hopefully, people want to know why.”

Yes, how we live matters. What we believe determines how we live. And our choices in daily living, worship, and work speak. I am told that Nelson Mandela repeatedly said, “May your choices reflect your hope, not your fears.”

As children of God’s family, we have been given His gift of hope – an unmerited, unique opportunity to share in God’s triumphant glory and eternal life. What a gift of purpose and hope! What an amazing gift of love! What a reason to rejoice!

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“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – January 24, 2024

www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Ray M. Geigley

Hope Overcomes

“In the darkness, see the LIGHT. In the stillness, hear the SHOUT, “I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the nations.” Be amazed, and sing “To us a child of hope is born, to us a son is giv’n.”

With these words, I concluded my last blog, encouraging us to make this “good news” story our story for the new year of 2024. And this past Monday we remembered Rev. Martin Luther King, a pastor-prophet who believed, lived, and boldly preached this HOPE that the child Jesus brought into our world.

And, in remembrance of his Christian witness, we sang together the powerful words of HOPE that he inspired in us; “We shall overcome, we shall overcome, we shall overcome some-day! Oh, deep in my heart I do believe – we shall overcome some-day.” And verse two, “We’ll walk hand in hand … some-day!” Followed byverse three, “We shall live in peace … some-day!”

These events stirred my thoughts to remember Jesus, the adult “child of hope” saying to his disciples and us, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33).

During my years of experience as pastor-chaplain I have seen and felt the important life-giving role that Christian HOPE offers us in times of difficulty and grief. I would often say to others that we need “hope to cope” during such times. But now I say that a Christian HOPE-filled response to the pains of troubles and disappointments, offers us more than just “coping” energy. Rather, it is a HOPE that “overcomes” our experiences of darkness, dangers, and death; bringing healing to the deep wounds of grief.

This HOPE is grounded in Jesus’ death and resurrection. This HOPE is a divine gift which energizes and enables us to envision possibility, “a way through” that shapes our responses in any and every difficult, threatening circumstance or situation. This HOPE assures that “We shall overcome!”

This HOPE is not “wishful thinking” as in “I hope it doesn’t rain on our vacation,” which is a most popular use of this word.And neither is this HOPE “reasonable expectation” as when the doctor says to family members, “We have every reason to hope for full recovery” following surgical treatment to the patient. The doctor’s use of the word “hope” is based on and limited to the doctor’s past experiences.

Whereas, the “HOPE” we hear expressed by the biblical writers, is a dynamic word of confident assurance in a promised future of eternal life with our glorious, gracious God. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11).

Yes, we will be the recipients in God’s glorious triumph in overcoming the darkness of sin and death. This is the strong, overcoming, and certain hope that God has given us in Jesus’ death and resurrection.

The writer of Hebrews tells us that our faith rests on this HOPE. “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1). What an amazing gift of love! What a reason to rejoice!

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“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – January 17, 2024

www.geigler13.wordpress.com – Ray M. Geigley

To Us a Child of Hope Is Born

Once again, we have closed out the year by gathering with the shepherds and angels around the stable manger, giving worship to the baby born to us. And once again we remain wrapped in a world of darkness and hopeless despair.

I wonder as I wander back through these past few weeks, did I see and feel the terrifying LIGHT of the Lord’s presence and glory? In the stillness of the dark night did I really hear the angel’s SHOUT, “Today … a Savior has been born to you.”  What was the depth of my amazement as I gazed at the baby in Mary’s embrace? How much emotion was expressed in my singing “Joy to the world, the Lord is come!”

Did I at least try to feebly feel the euphoria of renewed HOPE that this baby birthed in the hearts of Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, Simeon, Anna, and all who heard the news? The long wait for this promised Savior had been painful and many had lost all HOPE. But now the angel’s “good news” rekindled the dying embers of HOPE within them, and they were joyfully amazed that God had not forgotten his promise to them.

The song, “To Us a Child of Hope Is Born” is an appropriate and perfect song for these first days of a new year. Listen carefully to its “good news” message and believe its promises for today’s darkness.

  1.      To us a child of hope is born, to us a son is giv’n.

            Him shall the tribes of earth o-bey, him all the hosts of heav’n,

            him shall the tribes of earth o-bey, him all the hosts of heav’n.

   2.      His name shall be the Prince of peace, for-ev-er-more a-dored,

            the Won-der-ful, the Coun-se-lor, the great and might-y Lord,

            the Won-der-ful, the Coun-se-lor, the great and might-y Lord.

   3.      His pow’r, in-creas-ing, still shall spread, his reign no end shall know.

            Jus-tice shall guard his throne a-bove, and peace a-bound be-low,

            jus-tice shall guard his throne a-bove, and peace a-bound be-low.

God’s gift of HOPE given us in Jesus’ birth, is a vibrant vision of possibilities that encourages us to live forward from where we are. In times of trouble and despair, this HOPE provides “a way forward” toward a Godly destiny of “justice” and “peace” worthy of our endurance. This HOPE is the energy that gets us out of bed in the morning and shapes our activity for the day. It also helps us to sleep well at night, knowing that we are lovingly protected and provided for by this child of HOPE, named Jesus.

In both church and non-church conversations I hear a lot of despair being spoken. The daily news is mostly painful and ugly, and the year 2024 looks to be dangerously worse. For many people, of all nationalities, religious beliefs, and political preferences, there seems to be little hope for any “good news” to happen.

However, as children of God’s family, we are given the unmerited gift of HOPE, which propels us forward, joyfully sharing in God’s “with us” peace and triumphant glory. What an amazing gift of love! What a reason to rejoice!

In the darkness, see the LIGHT. In the stillness, hear the SHOUT, “I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.”  Be amazed, and sing “To us a child of hope is born, to us a son is giv’n.” 

Yes, let us make the “good news” story our story for the new year of 2024. And maybe our neighbors and friends will take notice … be amazed … changed … and join with us in singing the song of HOPE.

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“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – January 3, 2024

www.geigler13.wordpress.com – Ray M. Geigley

JOY to the World

I love listening to and joining in singing the many joyful, glorious hymns of Christmas. And

“Joy to the world” is one of my favorite carols. It is also one of the most sung hymns during the Christmas season. Why? Possibly because its message and melody echoes the ecstatic joy that Jesus’ birth brought into the world.

For many centuries God’s people yearned for the realization of the prophets’ promise that God would come and reveal Himself as their messiah. And then it happened during one dark night in a Bethlehem stable. The angels announced the “good news of great joy” that “a Savior has been born to you” and the shepherds rushed to town to confirm it.

Isaac Watts joyfully echoed the angel’s message in poetry and George Frederick Handel set those words to music:  Joy to the world!  the Lord is come; Let earth receive her King. Let every heart prepare Him room, And heav’n and nature sing. He rules the world with truth and grace, And makes the nations prove, The glories of His righteousness, And wonders of His love.

We annually celebrate that wondrous event with joy-filled music and storytelling. But why is that joy so short-lived? Why does the darkness of hopelessness and pain so quickly overshadow and diminish our joy? Could it be that our joy is not rightly birthed?

Or could it be because the beautiful melody has distracted our attention away from its instructions regarding how to experience this promised JOY, that is, “Let every heart prepare Him room.”

Many times, in past years, I have enjoyed singing with my children, “I have the joy, joy, joy, down in my heart, down in my heart, down in my heart; I have the joy, joy, joy, down in my heart to stay.”

To enjoy the joyful music and glorious pageantry of Christmas worship and giftings, celebrating the birth of Jesus into our world, is a wonderful brief interlude in a world of darkness. But much more wonderful and life-changing is to experience the birth of Jesus into our heart, mind, and body. This personal experience of Jesus’ birth is transformational and enduring, whereas simply enjoying the various celebrations of Jesus’ birth is only palliative sedative for a few days.

For that reason, CHRISTMAS is about more than just lights, trees, and presents. CHRISTMAS is about God coming down to earth to do something about our sinfulness, our failures, and our fears. CHRISTMAS is about God’s answer to our brokenness. He comes to forgive, heal, and restore us to wholeness. He comes to be birthed into our hearts; to be King in and through us.

Whenever darkness and fears begin to seep into your thoughts and spirit during the days following the Christmas gifting celebrations, listen again to the gifting message of the heavenly angel, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.” (Lk. 2:10-11).

Throughout the coming year, let the joyous singing of Christmas hymns and carols continue to echo in your heart and mind. Embrace and hold tightly God’s gift of love to you in Jesus, be bathed with his peace, feel his heartbeat of joy for you and sing; “Joy to the world! The Lord is come!”  AMEN!

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“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – December 27, 2023

www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Ray M. Geigley

TRUSTING the GOD of CHRISTMAS

Many of the events in the Christmas story include a journey. Some are physical journeys, and some are journeys of wonder, confusion, and of trust. It is Joseph’s journey of trusting God that has been most helpful in giving me confidence and guidance for my own life-journey.

In our annual Christmas story telling, it would appear that Joseph is only a peripheral figure in this glorious story. But in Matthew’s account of the story, Joseph plays an important and essential role in the series of miraculous events. (Matthew 1:18-25).

In verse nineteen we discover that the miracle of Christmas rested on Joseph’s shoulders as we await his hesitant decision to either accept or reject the stunning news of the coming Messiah, and the shocking way in which he would come into the world.

If the Godly righteous and compassionate Joseph had carried through with his plans, not only would the child, Jesus, have been illegitimate in the eyes of his culture, he would have been without the validity of a Davidic heritage as declared in the prophetic promise of the Messiah.

Verse 24 reveals Joseph’s most praiseworthy characteristic, which we see in his acceptance of and obedience to God’s word to him. Enabled by his faith to believe the promptings of God’s Spirit, he trusted the angelic visions and messages regarding God’s gracious plan of coming into the world in human flesh and form.

From the moment Joseph first learned of Mary’s pregnancy, he traveled a difficult emotional journey of extreme feelings; a questioning, wondering journey of how, why, when, who, and what child is this.

To fully appreciate Joseph’s journey of trusting God, we should remember that for him to accept what God told him, meant going through days of anguish and heartbreak. It meant his dreams would be dashed. It meant setting aside his own desires and rights to claim his wife as his own, living with her in celibacy until the birth of the child. It meant accepting, caring for, and loving a child whose origins and future he was not sure he understood. And it meant giving the child a name unrelated to his own.

Yes, it was a perilous journey, weaving between trust and doubt, threading around pits of anger and frustration, fighting disappointment and heartbreak. Nothing happened the way Joseph had dreamed and planned it would. Not the wedding, nor the public approval and celebration. All his dreams were dashed to dust, but there emerged, with his continuing trust in God’s involvement, something much bigger and more wondrous than Joseph could ever had imagined.

Joseph was told to name the child “…Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” (v.21). Jesus means “God saves.” The scriptures also say, “They will call him Emmanuel, …which means God with us.”

Whatever else we may say about Joseph, we should never overlook the truth that he was a man of confidence in God’s trustworthiness. His strength, compassion, wisdom, and courage all flowed from his constant, steady faith in God’s presence with him, and in God’s power to work all things for his good.

This is why I think Joseph’s journey of trusting the God of Christmas is at the very heart of the Christmas story. His experience with things going awry and turning out so differently from what he expected, is so much like our own life experiences. And his journey helps us hear and believe the possibility of our own difficult journey connecting with the good news of the Christmas story.

This Christmas, as we marvel at Mary’s quiet calm, admire the faith of the Magi, share in the excitement of the shepherds, let us also take a long, soul-searching look at the quiet strength of Joseph trusting faith. And let us remember that as Joseph was obedient to the angel’s message and named the child, Jesus, so may each of us do the same.

“Today…a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord.”  Name him “Jesus” and trust him to be “Emmanuel” in your life-journey.

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“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – December 20, 2023

www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Ray M. Geigley

“DO NOT BE AFRAID”

Henri Nouwen, a Dutch priest, wrote that “Fear is the single most important and tragic emotion in our lives.”  He is right. Fear is the emotion that controls us most often in our decision-making and actions. There is a healthy fear that causes us to be cautious and careful, to give respect toward, and make good life-giving decisions. Then there is the opposite kind of fear that handicaps, paralyzes and separates us from experiencing life as God would have us enjoy.

Fear is Satan’s greatest and most deadly weapon that he uses in destroying you and your relationship with God. And so, it is only reasonable to conclude that the best remedy for quieting our fears begins with deliberate action toward restoring and strengthening our relationship with God.

In fact, this is what Jesus promised, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me.” And then added, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:1, 27).

The prophet, Isaiah, spoke to our fears in a prophecy concerning God coming to us as the Messiah (Isaiah 35:4) – “Say to those with fearful hearts, Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, …he will come to save you.”

In his Gospel account of Jesus’ birth, Luke will have an angel suddenly appear on three separate occasions bringing a special message from God. To Zechariah, a priest “gripped with fear,” the angel says, “Do not be afraid; Zechariah, your prayer has been heard.” (1:13).

To Mary, a young virgin “greatly troubled,” the angel says, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you. … “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God.” (1:28-30).

And to “terrified” shepherds keeping watch over their flocks at night in fields near Bethlehem, an angel appears in glorious light and says, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.” (2:10-11).

In all three occasions, the angel’s sudden and unexpected appearance caused great anxiety and fear. And in all three occasions, the angel reassured the recipients of God’s special message with the words, “Do not be afraid.”

CHRISTMAS is the good news that God comes down to us to rescue us from our many fears. God wants to forgive, heal, and restore us to the confidence and security that his omni-presence assures us.

And so, when darkness and fears arise in your thoughts and spirit this Christmas season, hear the message of the heavenly angel, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.” (Lk. 2:10-11). When you hear the joyous singing of Christmas hymns and carols, listen intently to the heartbeat of God’s love for you. “Joy to the world, the Lord (of love, light, and hope) is come!”

This is the “good news” message of Christmas. God, in Jesus, left the glories of heaven and came down and into our world of darknesses. By taking on human flesh, he entered fully into our world, bringing the peace and joy that flows from his presence of love and light engulfing us. THANK YOU, JESUS!

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Waiting, Waiting, Waiting . . . to hear from God

Whether in a hospital “waiting room” or waiting out a threatening storm or situation, it is a place where time seems to stand still, where life is put on hold, and where anxiety and fear take root and grow within us. In such waiting situations, it feels as if our life has come to a screeching halt and our hopes painfully dashed. It feels as if God has led us down a long hallway and ushered us into a room with a huge sign over the doorway that says, “WAITING ROOM.” And there is only silence in response to our anguished, frustrated cry, “How long, O Lord? When are you going to do something? I do not know how much more I can take! Please, God, hear my prayer!”

We live in a society of instant gratification and any kind of waiting frustrates us. Waiting is so counter-cultural and unacceptable. And this selfish expectation is distorting the Christian perspective regarding the purpose and potential of waiting, whether it be our waiting to hear from God in our present difficult, bleak situation, or in God’s ADVENT of His promised glorious Kingdom on earth.

The Scriptures remind us that “waiting” invites us to be confident in what God is going to do for us. In Psalm 27:13-14, David says, “I remain confident of this; I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” This confidence and trust are repeated in Psalm 130:5-6, “I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope. I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning.

These and many other scriptures seem to clearly define “good waiting” as being patient and confident, knowing that God is working in my life for my good and His glory. But if you are anything like me, being patient involves a great inner struggle. I tend to want things to happen, to change, not later but sooner.

From my own difficult life experiences of waiting and study of scripture, I have learned that the ability to calm our soul and wait for God’s response to our cry is one of the most difficult tasks in the Christian life. And I agree with the biblical scholars who say that God’s delays are not God’s denials but are for preparing us for greater blessing. And so, when God has us “waiting” it is because there is yet work for Him to do, either in us or for us, in order for us to best receive His blessing.

The truth is that whenever we encounter a “waiting” situation, we have to make a choice whether or not to wait on the Lord. And when we choose not to wait on God, we become impatient, fearful, and full of worry. We begin to doubt that God is good and loving. We begin to doubt His ability to provide for us and to resolve our problem situation. And when we respond like this, we are prime candidates for ulcers, migraine headaches, high blood pressure, and even heart attacks.

I know that this is not the choice God wishes for us to make. He dearly loves us and desires to give us the best of physical and spiritual refreshment – “But those who wait on the Lord will find new strength. They will fly high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31). This is the best choice in every “waiting” time or place in our life’s journey.

And so, I say to myself and to you, as we anxiously sit in waiting, use the time to read Psalm 130. This is a psalm of urgent, hopeful waiting by a distressed person who cries out to God from the depths of life with the hope that God will hear and deliver. The writer starts in the depths and ends with confidence.

This psalm is one of many that can calm and nourish our soul while we wait to hear God’s answer to our questioning. This psalm encourages us to pray with greater confidence that God hears our cry and is present with us. With renewed confidence in his presence and love, we can be more patient in accepting His purposeful working in us.

My own experience has taught me that God can be trusted because He is always and forever true to His name and character. Write it on your heart and in your mind, God is Love and God is with us!

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“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – November 29, 2023

www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Ray M. Geigley

Celebrate with Grateful Thanksgiving

It has been said that when it comes to Thanksgiving Day activities, most people fall into either of two classes, those who take things “for granted” and those who receive/accept things “with gratitude.” 

I have learned that the most important attitude that we can ever cultivate in our life is the “attitude of gratitude,” that is, being thankful in all circumstances. A grateful attitude enables our days to open up like a flower, full of beauty and sweet fragrance. And it fills our life with joy and pleasant surprises because we are enabled to more readily see God blessing us in many wonderful ways.

I remember the story of a boy in elementary school who arrived late to school and was reprimanded for it. Later, he discovered that he had forgotten his homework, and was scolded again. Then he began to feel sick and ran in from the playground to go home. And as he ran, he tripped and fell, breaking his arm. While he was on the ground, he found a quarter. After a visit to the doctor’s office and on his way home he told his parents, “This is the best day of my life! I have never found a quarter before.”

We should cultivate that kind of child-like gratefulness so that we can better see and thankfully acknowledge the good things that happen to us, even when life is more painful and disappointing than we had hoped.

Thanksgiving Day offers us a chance to re-exam our usual response in receiving God’s gifts of love and goodness. Do we take them “for granted” or receive them “with gratitude? Thanksgiving Day offers us the opportunity to name and count our blessings, both large and small, significant, and common, and thankfully worship God who is the source of every good and gracious gift.

We should remember that God owes us nothing. Everything we have and enjoy is His gift to us. And neither do we deserve anything from God, including our caring family and friends, a good meal, or a warm bed. In fact, we do not even deserve the fresh air we just inhaled or the continuing steady beat of our heart. For that reason, our attitude throughout every day should be fully saturated with grateful thanksgiving.

Furthermore, all research studies regarding physical and mental health conclude that people who count their blessings sleep better, are more active, and care more about others. People who are always counting their blessings show significant improvements in mental, physical, and spiritual health. And these results are true regardless of your age or life situation.

In the biblical story of the ten lepers whom Jesus healed, Jesus sharply criticizes the nine lepers who went on their way without so much as a thank-you. To the one leper who did return and say thank-you, Jesus says, “Your faith has made you well.”  Jesus is congratulating him not so much for the faith that asked for healing, but for the faith that returned to give thanks.

This one leper wanted soul healing as well as physical healing and is not that also our desire as we thankfully name and count our blessings. After all, the biblical stories teach us that it is a “grateful” faith and not a “gimme” faith that saves us.

I am convinced that an attitude of gratitude is not only important for aging well but is also vital to our enjoyment of living well each day. The apostle Paul admonishes us to “Rejoice always; pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

And so, during tomorrow’s Thanksgiving Day, and every day of the year, let us join the Psalmist in reminding ourselves to “Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.” (Psalm 103:2).

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“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – November 22, 2023

www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Ray M. Geigley

Forgiveness and Pressing Onward

If asked whether or not we always did our best, most of us would probably ashamedly answer, “No, I did not.”  And, if asked whether or not our conversations and actions may have caused others unnecessary hurt, again most of us would probably sadly answer, “Probably so.”

Such mistakes in judgment and regrets of our past often become heavy self-punishing baggage, crippling our journey with Jesus and others. And sometimes the burdensome baggage is nothing more than the nagging belief that we could do better if given another chance.

Whatever its contents, the baggage of self-deprecation cannot be easily dismissed, for it is the consequence of mistaken judgments and unwise decisions that have left painful wounds and deep scars in both our psyche and relationships with others.

Many years ago, Louisa Fletcher Tarkington, authored a perceptive poem entitled, “The Land of Beginning Again.”  It begins and ends with a verse which gives voice to the regret we feel when we realize what we have done or have not done.

              I wish there were some wonderful place

              Called the land of beginning again

              Where all our mistakes,

              And all our heartaches,

              And all of our poor selfish grief,

              Could be dropped like a shabby

              Old coat at the door,

              And never be put on again.

And I ask, should not being Christian in relationship with God through Jesus Christ, make us uniquely equipped to forgive (let go) and leave the past behind? And does not this inability to forgive ourselves contradict everything we profess to believe about the forgiving, healing, redeeming power of Jesus Christ? I am convinced that it does.

This is what the apostle Paul was referencing when he wrote, “But one thing I do; Forgetting what is behind (forgiving-letting go) and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 3:13-14).

I hear Paul encouraging us not to look back in ways that keep us from going forward, in ways that make us a prisoner of our past mistakes and sins, in ways that prevent us from experiencing the healing (letting go) of old hurts and painful memories.

Yes, there is great value in looking back to learn, to affirm the places, faces, and circumstances from which we have come, and to remember what and who has shaped our lives. Yes, there is a time to look back if done so with a positive learning purpose.

But if our looking back is clouded with a sense of self-deprecating failure and guilt, our efforts to grow in our relationships with God and others will most certainly be hampered, if not completely blocked. That is why Jesus’ invitation is such good news, assuring us that carrying such baggage is totally unnecessary. For Jesus daily invites us, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest (forgiveness, set free).” (Matthew 11:28).

Yes, the pain of mistaken judgments and regrets may shadow us, robbing us of freedom and potential, and hampering our ability to use our spiritual energy and gifts for enjoying the today and moving with joyous anticipation into the new tomorrows of our life. And, YES, the possibility of new beginnings is always God’s invitational good news to every one of us, no exceptions.

And so, I say, instead of fretting our failures to forgive the past, let us choose to press onward toward maturing faith and Jesus-like character and behavior. God waits, ready to help us gather the regretful pass into a self-forgiveness that opens the door into new tomorrows and new beginnings. Amen!

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“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – November 15, 2023

www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Ray M. Geigley

Forgiveness and Letting Go

Many of us have a painful past to live with; a past that we can neither escape nor change. And for many, the painful memories are so overwhelming that their recall brings deep pain to the present. Feelings of inferiority, unfairness, and anger quickly surface, and the long-forgotten fears once again grab a haunting chokehold on our life.

From Jesus we hear, “And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” (Mark 11:25).

And from the apostle Paul, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you.”  (Ephesians 4:32).

Biblical wisdom consistently teaches that forgiveness means completely “letting go” and releasing the person or persons responsible for causing the pain, whether by actions or words, from any resentment or revenge. To forgive and forget is to completely “let go” of the old wounds with their pain and anger.

The resentments and lingering bitterness of any painful past must be forgiven and discarded if we wish to enjoy a good life of health and peace as we grow older. Furthermore, it is the only doorway to experiencing God’s abundant life of divine forgiveness, peace and joy in our own life and spirit.

The biblical story of Joseph is a story of repeated, continuing painful experiences caused by jealousy, hatred, and murderous betrayals, by his own brothers and the wife of his Egyptian owner. The story is recorded in Genesis 37-45 and is a powerful portrayal of how forgiving and forgetting, letting go of the past, is the only response to a painful past that brings healing of mind, spirit, and relationships.

Joseph, the favorite son of his father Jacob, grew up in a large family, where favoritism and sibling rivalry was rampant, causing brotherly relationships to be infected with jealousy and anger. It became so bad that one day Joseph’s brothers caught him, threw him into a pit, and discussed killing him. One brother intervened and convinced the rest to instead sell Joseph as a slave to traders headed toward Egypt.

Even though life in Egypt was painfully difficult and disappointing, Joseph never wavered in his love relationship with God and of God’s purpose for his life. And years later, while living in prison, that purpose began to materialize.

The Egyptian Pharaoh had a dream that no one but Joseph could interpret. The dream revealed that Egypt would experience seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine. And to reward Joseph for interpreting the dream, the Pharaoh gave Joseph charge over all of the agricultural activity in Egypt. The years of plenty came and Joseph stored up the abundance of grain for the future survival of Egypt. Seven years later the drought and famine began.

The drought and famine became so widespread and severe that people in neighboring countries came to Egypt to buy food from Joseph. And it was not long before Joseph’s own brothers arrived to buy food. Joseph recognized them, but they no longer knew their own brother. Joseph sold them the grain they requested, but he also tricked them into coming back to him several times before he revealed his true identity.

When he did identify himself as their brother, they were terrified. They remembered the pit and the time they bartered with traders and sold their own brother into slavery. They had every reason to be terrified when Joseph says to them in verses 4-5, “Come close to me. …I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.”

Joseph had learned that the grace of forgiveness frees him from resentment and the need for revenge. He even named one of his sons, Manasseh, which means “God has made me forget.”

Like Joseph, the apostle Paul came to understand the way God uses adversity and pain. He wrote in Romans 8:28 – “We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.”

Our difficult and painful experiences often become God’s classroom of learning how to trust God and forgive others. Those of us who have been there, who have journeyed through the valley of painful events, who have suffered much but chose to forgive the past, can now look back and attest to God’s leading, providing, shaping, healing, and calling us into a larger life and ministry. I know because I have been there and done that.

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“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – November 9, 2023

www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Ray M. Geigley