Blood and War and Lying

An interesting confluence of events in my life.

I watched Blood Diamond last night. I spend most of the movie reflecting upon how much people need Jesus.

We all have a need - to be with God.

We all have a problem - sin. Vile, selfish and disgusting Sin. We are born with it.

God has provided a Remedy - Jesus.

In the story we see the horrific circumstances in Africa that grossly illustrate the nature of man. There is the consumeristic greed of the Western countries driving the demand for diamonds. And then the war over diamonds between races and classes. And the corrupt military who poses as a conduit of righteousness while laying out strategies to lace their own pockets. Finally we see the journalist who realizes that her nobility, couched in the facade of objective journalism, is shallow and, at the core - selfish.

From every angle we see people motivated by themselves.

I was surprised that the movie, in a brief dialog, posed the question - "is man good or evil by nature?"

The characters, in the midst of devastating war, concluded that man is basically good. A not-so-clever attempt to sow some opinion that leads people away from God and back to man. For, if we believe that man is basically good, than we are saying that man can basically solve its own problems.

Has this ever been true? Is there less war today than before? I was recently told that there are more slaves today than at any other time in history. How far we have not come.

This week I also have been studying the story of Ananias and Sapphira from Acts 5:1-11. They sold a house and then claimed to give all of the money to the Apostles but in reality had kept a portion from themselves. No doubt their motive was to appear to be righteous and noble. They weren't required to do any of this, but they saw an opportunity to elevate themselves in the eyes of others.

God killed them. Ananias first and then Sapphira.

Some would say - shame on God. I say shame on man. We are so different from God in that we deserve to have our blood spilled. How many of us have committed little white lies just like the unfortunate couple in Acts 5? We love to allow our image to be inflated while nursing a habit of destruction on the side.

And so the question of the decision of God isn't that difficult. I didn't lay awake in bed this week wondering why God killed these two.

I simply wonder why he hasn't killed me yet...I deserve it.

The blood is on our own hands.

I am so grateful for the blood of Jesus - that intercepts my sentence of eternal death. Now I live forever with him.

I love this song by David Crowder - Remedy

Here we are
Here we are
The broken and used
Mistreated, abused
Here we are

Here You are
Here You are
The beautiful one
Who came like a Son
Here You are

So we lift up our voices
We open our hands
To cling to the love
That we can't comprehend

Oh, lift up your voices
And lift up your heads
To sing of the love
That has freed us from sin

He is the one
Who has saved us
He is the one
Who embraced us
He is the one who has come
And is coming again
He's the remedy

Here we are
Here we are
Bandaged and bruised
Awaiting a cure
Here we are

Here You are
Here You are
Our beautiful King
Bringing relief
Here You are with us

So we lift up our voices
And open our hands
Let go of the things
That have kept us from Him