Revelations

"To the angel of the church in Ephesus, write this: " 'The one who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks in the midst of the seven gold lampstands says this:

"I know your works, your labor, and your endurance, and that you cannot tolerate the wicked; you have tested those who call themselves apostles but are not, and discovered that they are impostors.

Moreover, you have endurance and have suffered for my name, and you have not grown weary.

Yet I hold this against you: you have lost the love you had at first.

Realize how far you have fallen. Repent, and do the works you did at first. Otherwise, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.

But you have this in your favor: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

" '"Whoever has ears ought to hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the victor I will give the right to eat from the tree of life that is in the garden of God."'

paraphrase

They say that the right thing to do is to follow your heart.

But the heart is fickle and easily led astray.

If you want to do the right thing, it is you who has to lead your heart.

My heart does not desire the right things.

1 year down the road and I'm contemplating the same thing about a different person.

Or might it be more apt to say:

1 year ago, I was contemplating the same thing about a different person?

Is there even a difference?

My heart has grown soft.

Or perhaps it never really was steely to begin with.

But I must stay faithful, no matter what.

trinket

Last Christmas, my aunt gave me a key-chain in the shape of my name. It is quite a nice little trinket, but not really something a self-respecting guy might carry around. I should suppose, in fact, that if guys were to see me carrying it around, they might so deign to deem me as being effeminate. Heck, even girls might feel that way.

But I know my aunt loves me. And she is one of the most generous and caring of persons I've met. So what matters more? Acknowledging my aunt's love (and I know she'd be really happy to see me carry the key-chain), or the opinions of a bunch of people who probably could matter less?

And in a similar vein, what of acknowledging our Christianity in a secular world?

insight?

I might have cared so much as to become confused.

But the solution doesn't lie in caring any less.

Rather, in caring more.

Caring in a holier, more God-centred way.

Lord, teach me how.