CINDY TRANE CHRISTESON -- The Moral of the Story

“God, our wise and creative Maker, has been pleased to make everyone

different and no one perfect. The sooner we appreciate and accept that

fact, the deeper we will appreciate and accept one another.”

-- Chuck R. Swindoll

“I never thought I needed God. I thought I had life under control,” a

young man said with a shaky voice to his friend.

The two walked behind me into church last Friday for the National Day

of Prayer and Remembrance.

“But then the world fell apart, and I feel like I’m falling apart, and

I don’t know what else to do but turn to God,” hecontinued.

“You’re doing the right thing brother,” said the friend.

I stopped for a drink of water and looked up at the two young men.

The first one said, “Wow, I can’t remember the last time I came to

church, but I couldn’t not come. Does that make sense?”

I didn’t hear the response, but the friend put his arm on his buddy’s

shoulder as they headed into the packed building. It made perfect sense

to me.

I was sad for the reason, but encouraged to see so many choose to

unite together in prayer across our city, around our nation and

throughout our world. Not only is this a time to unite in prayer for

God’s guidance in global decisions, but we need to ask for God’s guidance

in our individual actions as well.

God can heal our hurting hearts. God can give us his peace for our

fears. God can restore order to our disordered mishmash of confusing

emotions. God can give us the eyes we need to see others, especially

those who look or speak differently than we do.

With God’s help, we can choose to reach out, not to lash out. At this

juncture, we can choose reconciliation, instead of racism; compassion

instead of suspicion. We can choose.

A friend spoke to his neighbor last week. His neighbor happens to be

Muslim.

“I can’t believe you are even talking to me,” his neighbor said. “I

thought nobody would want anything to do with me.”

That same day I received an e-mail from one of many dear friends in

Egypt. After sharing his deep sorrow and emotional prayers about the

tragedies that weigh heavily on all our minds, he shared what was also

troubling his heart.

“I’m also mad because we as a race, ‘Arabs,’ suffered tremendously

because of this,” he wrote. “It feels like walking in the street and

someone threw a bucket of dirty water from above. We will look suspicious

when we travel to the West.

“I personally have dedicated a lot of my life to be used as a bridge

between our cultures because this has been a key in the kingdom of God. I

read those words, I hear the stories, I see the pictures and I cry. But

my cry today is to and for all of us. How are we choosing to view others

today?”

My friend Debbie’s pastor explained that it is the government’s job to

implement justice, and it is our job to implement mercy. Are we doing our

jobs?

And you can quote me on that.

* CINDY TRANE CHRISTESON is a Newport Beach resident who speaks

frequently to parenting groups. She may be reached via e-mail at o7

cindy@onthegrow.comf7 or through the mail at P.O. Box 6140-No. 505,

Newport Beach, CA 92658.