Phenomenal Intolerance

She walked slumped over. Constantly leaning forward, her gait was unsure and her steps fragile. The obvious ravages of chronic pain was having it's perfect way in the way only pain can disrupt and disturb the simplest of tasks - like walking.

Like most people, regardless of issue, she was alone in a crowded room. It's not that people who are in observation of the obvious are uncaring or without feeling when confronted with the pain of another. Their reluctance is in the simplicity of not knowing what to do or say. So nothing is said ... and worse yet, done.

In any case, there she was. Out in public view, reminding passersby that all in life is not perfect. Being reminded they didn't know what to say or do last time, they scurry along to shop, to worship, to pray to fellowship - to love and be loved.

There was one though. There is always one.

One person in the crowd who having long ago breached their boiling point, is no longer able to tolerate the chronic and unchecked of life. There is always one who having reached this point of personal crisis has tooled themselves sufficiently to impact, to make a dent in the perfection of trouble.

I'm glad it was the jail breaking, rule ignoring, death defying, whip making, stereotype jacking, hope refreshing Jesus who happened to be there that day. Shining brightly in His divine intolerance.

Of course, the rule making, stereotype establishing, unwhipped and jailer robbing hopeless were angry - they're always angry. Hope deferred always makes the heart sick.

The single act of Jesus' addressing this women's condition through a miraculous, instantaneous healing in the temple that day stirred the pot the wrong way and He became vilified for not waiting for a more appropriate time and day.

My brothers and sisters if you're going to be intolerant, be intolerant in a ground breaking, risk taking, backlash rendering phenomenal kind of way. Be so intolerant to the injustices around you that you disturb even your best of friends.

Be the one.

Rise above the normal responses of ignoring the pain in you or around you simply because you know no other response. Cultivate the kind of response laid out so simply by your great example; Jesus.

I was that woman. Slumped and leaning forward. Walking, stumbling and painfully grinding out each step. Until one day, toiling under the weight of perfectly poor choices that had turned into the reality of harsh consequence - I had my own encounter with the divinely intolerant Jesus.

You were that woman. You may be that woman right now.

You can be straight to the crooked around you!

Here's today's question: 'Are you ready for the divinly intolerant Jesus?'

Making a dent,
Dan