Again...

Once again the community I am a part of, this time on the other side of the planet, has been wounded by the unexpected ripping away of one of its members through death at the hands of deceived men. This time my community nor I are intimately connected, but connected closely none the less. This brings up many emotions from recent events in my own life and I am pained with the knowledge and understanding of what her friends and family are now going through. Again, a senseless act of killing has affected my life. Again, death is in my forethought. I do not fear for my own and am not worried about possibilities, but it brings home again the reality of the possibilities and capabilities of life and evil on a broken planet. In considering these thoughts I am challenged, can and do I still love the people capable of and responsible for these types of actions? I know God does. That is the hardest concept in the world for me to grasp. Abuse, death, suffering, poverty all of these enrage me and cause me to question the presence of God, but Him loving the people responsible for such horrific actions and then asking me to do the same seems almost ludicrous in mention. Yet still, in living on this planet having accepted grace and mercy that are completely undeserved I am too, asked to extend the same grace and mercy to all. All the greatest commandments can be summed up into these two, Love God, Love people. Neither is possible with out the other. I struggle with the question of am I even capable of such love? If I am created in God’s image then I must be, but I think it is a feat that will take choosing continually to love over years and years before it is an actual truth in my life. Today, at this moment it is a choice that I make.