The Court

Love is what holds me together. Not the love between a man and a woman, not the "love" portrayed by culture, not even the love of my friends and family, though that love is what keeps me from staying in my room all day with my yo-yo and a Pop-Tart. Not a love that is an emotion or an abstract idea. Not the love that makes people fuzzy inside. What holds me together everyday is Love with a capital L. Love that is a force from Heaven. A Love that saw me sitting in the dungeon of my sin, the devil's shackles around my wrist and guilt forcing me farther and farther into the wall, that same Love saw me at my most helpless, but before we go to what that Love did, shall we remember how I got there? I was in the King's Castle. My God placed me into perfection and told me it was mine, then I spat in His face and ran, staining His carpet as I left. I spat and His face and led myself to the door. Not the door outside the castle mind you, the door to the dungeon. It seemed more exciting to me then the Courts of the King, so down those creaking steps I went. My feet hit the cold brick floor. Then out jumped the devil with His shackles, the enemy of the King and there I sat. Evil on all sides with my ignorance being the only thing to blame. I was their on my own accord. It was no one's fault but my own and now I had an eternity in shackles to look forward to. Now, back to Love. Love came to the door, embodied as the Prince. He opened the dungeon door and the light streamed in. Oh, what a light. As the brightest sun in the darkest cave, piercing the darkness like it was the armor of the evil one and spreading to destroy all the night. That was simply His entrance, the hope that came before the salvation. He crushed the devil, opened my shackles and set me free. I began to walk away, only to look behind me and see the Prince look at me and then back to the wall. He smiled, turned back and shackled Himself to that wall, as the light began to envelop Him. Because that's how it had to be. Because if I was to re-enter the Court, someone had to stay in the dungeon. That is Love. Though it doesn't end there. As I re-enter the upper level of the Castle, blinking at the intense brightness, I see the King. He welcomes me as His own and the life as His prince begins, but before then, there comes a sound. From behind me the dungeon door cracks. Not simply crack, but shatter into nothingness. Then the Prince exits, the shackles still on His hands, but the chain completely obliterated. that is the Love that is mine on a daily basis. The Love that keeps me moving. The Grace that is enough and the force that will conquer all. In Christ alone will I survive, not simply survive, but live. And live to the fullest.

Contrast

My friends. There come days that define what you believe. Your faith is tested and you come out a stronger believer or a broken turn-coat. I was given this day today. There is a student. My peer in every way. His mother went home to be with Christ this morning. Not only was I tested today, our school was. A wolf came into our flock and we didn't escape without casualties. I saw tears shed by many people, I shed tears, but more importantly, I saw people everywhere offering prayers of comfort, quoting scripture and loving each other. I saw a school unite for the sake of one student during his darkest hour.

My friends. A woman escaped her broken earthly body today. She is now, at this very moment, with Christ. With Christ. With Christ. I did not know this woman. If I did meet her, I have since forgotten, however, I saw her impact everyday by the people who did know her. Because those people prayed fervently daily for her and her family. She was loved. Her family is loved. Oh how I look forward to a day in paradise when I can meet this woman.

My friends. Today I saw a strength I have never seen before. I saw a student who has no reason to have his mother taken from him, who has suffered through the idea of losing her for months and has stayed strong. A student who walked through the valley of the shadow of death and came out again, intact and breathing. I prayed for him with what I know to be hundreds of people today. I will continue to as long as I can remember, because I cannot do anything more. What can one do but pray?

My friends. Today I saw two stories of the loss of a parent. One happened live, one retold to me from years past. I saw that wound reopened and this man was hurting. This is not an experience that gets better. I will pray for that man also as long as I can remember. I pray because again, I can't do anything else. Love, pray, love, pray and love again.

My friends. After the most emotional day of my recent memory, the darkest moment of my high school career, I have found one thing. The darker the dark, the more the light shines. I have felt sorrow today. But I felt God more. I have felt anger today. But I felt God more. I have asked questions. but God has shown me what I need to see. I have seen people at broken for their friend. People in tears over a brother whom they simply talked to in the halls a few times. People at their lowest in earthly conditions are at their highest in wisdom. I saw unity today. Now I ask you friends, to pray. Many of you don't have any idea who these students are, but God does. Please just take a few minutes to pray for these two men and their families.

Father, I thank you for Christian High. I thank you that today, you have taken one of your own home today. You have separated the body and the spirit and have destroyed the pain. We pray for those left. Those who now stand, looking at the aftermath of eternity wondering what to do next. Give them your comfort and give those of us surrounding them the very essence of your love. Not by throwing ourselves at them and drowning them in our well-wishes and I'm-sorry-for-your-loss', but by being there. By loving quietly when necessary and loving loudly at every other moment. Thank you for the unity we have in you.