The Living Dead

This is a blind world, full of sickness. Full of beings that want to devour everything we have, and everything we are. Their appetite cannot be appeased. There is no pity and there is no safe place. We can't even trust yourself because we were born sick. We were born with the very ingredients, the very symptoms that will cause us to die, and that will take down people with us, as we fall, as we submit to the natural pattern in our nature.

 The sickness started with the first person and the lights have been fading ever since. That light hurts too bad, for our poor, shallow ability to see it. It's too deep and real. There are too many noises and echos and over stimulation all around to be able to tell that anyone wanted to help. Who can discern what a helpful voice is when all there is is screaming and running all the time?

“For when we were still without strength, in due time, Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die. But God demonstrates his own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:6

Suddenly there's a remedy, and we didn't ask for it. There's this innocent son. He really didn't do anything. He was his Father's only son. We called the Father the Eye-Opener. He saw the problem, and by, what looked like a freak accident, saw that his son's blood could save us. Our minds could be whole. Our bodies could be whole. We could get out of this crushing darkness. We could see the sun, we could feel air. We could be free. His blood was the antidote. There were so many of us, that he gave it all. He gave every bit of blood that he had. He died. For us... That son did it, he volunteered, because he said that it would please His Father. It must have broken his heart. I can't believe anyone would do that. 

“For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His son, much more, having been reconciled we shall be saved by His life.” Romans 5:10

The light entered us- and I could feel my body glowing with strength and clear thoughts, I could feel my eyes widen and I could stand to look at the light. And I could see the love and blessing behind it. I saw the Son for the first time in my life, and it was beautiful!

“How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?” Romans 6:2

“For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.

For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that he died, He died once for all, but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Romans 6:5-10

We are dead to the old sickness of sins, and brilliantly alive and in purpose and joy in Him. We sometimes hear the calls of those we love, and they hate us. They groan and gnash their teeth at us- they hate the light that reflects from our eyes. They accuse us of hate and judgment. They even think they have reason to pity us because they think we are deluded. We sometimes slip and close our eyes and plug our ears and hide and act like our freedom never came. We sometimes spend more time arguing what's insignificant and forgetting what we have been saved from.

Likewise, you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

(Romans 6:5-11)

I remember this good feeling. I remember singing, being creative. Like a new door was opened, that I didn't know existed. That was a long time ago. I asked for something from the Eye-Opener, and he didn't give it to me. To show him how angry I was, I shut my eyes. I could feel disappointment, and it gave me a thrill. I kept them shut, and smiled at the darkness. It felt so good to make him hurt the way he hurt me. I really wanted that thing. I can't remember what it is right now, actually. I went a week with them closed. I heard him call my name, after I walked into a door. That just made me more angry. It was his fault that I closed my eyes, after all. He could have protected me from that pain. I just kept them like that. I went long enough blind to survive, it's not like I need to see. I'm still thankful for everything He's done. I thank him now and then. Once a year, I light a candle for that Son. What a nice guy. It's his Dad that I don't like.