Narrow Way Cafe

Orphangelical

“You meet saints everywhere. They can be anywhere. They are people behaving decently in an indecent society.”

Kurt Vonnegut

“Every saint has a past, every sinner a future.”

Oscar Wilde

The very powerful and the very stupid have one thing in common. They fail to alter their views to fit the facts. Instead, they alter facts to fit their views.

Dr. Who

I used to be that Dog

Dgg

The only path to true forgiveness … is through compassion and empathy.

God had compassion and sent His son. Jesus lived as a man in genuine empathy.

An allegory:

Along the way, I’m attacked and wounded by a snarling vicious dog. After I overcome the initial shock and treat my injury… I see plainly that dog is sick, starving and fearful, chained to a tree … can’t reach shelter, food or water. It’s dying, desperate. So I learn about it’s owner, who is hateful, vindictive, mendacious and malevolent … maliciously enjoying causing the animal to suffer. A vile response is the only thing that dog knows. No wonder it attacked. The owner wants it to do just that.

My response is that the dog is set free (mercy) and the owner brought to account (justice.)

There is nothing I can do about the owner, I have no right or power to free that dog. All I can do is hope that one comes along who can. Someone with power and justice, who will – out of compassion – defy the owner to approach the dog and – out of empathy – risk reaching down to break those chains.

I don’t see the dog as an unforgivable enemy. My heart breaks as compassion and empathy flow – in my minds eye I sense the joy it would be to sit quietly in the grass with the dog, a free, healthy, loyal and loving companion.

Ultimately, forgiveness flows from compassion and empathy. It cannot be faked. My heart breaks and I pray for mercy and justice.

I used to be that dog.