Friday Favorites: A Smorgasbord of Thought

During Christmas Eve, Swedes serve a smorgasbord of select treats that follow a certain pattern, down to the types of food served and to the timing of the service. With that in mind, although it is much too early in the season to refer to a smorgasbord, here are a few favorites I have come across.

When God's Lovc Is So Big It Makes You Feel Uncomfortable, a  thoughtful piece about the atonement, forgiveness, and Brock Turner made me think deeply.  This particular passage is well-worth printing and referring to anytime grave injustices are done--which happens all the time.

But another way of interpreting this is that God loves EVERYBODY, including sinners like Brock Turner. That God is crying with Brock’s family and friends as they watch how his choices have forever altered his life and the life of his victim. That God is supporting Brock as he suffers through the consequences of his sin just as much as God is working on healing the terrible, awful, almost irreparable wounds Brock inflicted behind that dumpster. It could mean that God would want us to pray for the survivor of the assault AS WELL AS the assaulter.

I wrote the following comment on the blog piece:

I just wrote a big blog post about rape and sexual assault on my blog so I have been thinking about this topic a lot.

But I have also been thinking about the atonement. For a long time, I thought the atonement was all about the sinner. That seems to be how it is referenced constantly by our church leaders and everyone I know.

I thought about the atonement in this narrow, tightly defined way until a dear friend, after sharing her story of being physically and emotionally abused by her mother, found healing and peace through the atonement. She is one of the most emotionally stable and whole people I know.

That rocked my world. So yes, I believe God’s love is way bigger than we can imagine. I think most of us aren’t actually accessing the atonement for healing from the wounds which were inflicted upon us by others. I think sometimes we are so paralyzed by our pain, grief, and suffering as we grapple with the afer-effects of abuse, addiction, etc., that we don’t even know that healing is there or how to begin. 

I think the only way the Atonement can work to allow a sinner to be forgiven is that God has to offer the victim a way to be healed and become whole again. I think that’s the atonement. I could be wrong, but I’m pretty sure I’m not. 

I was so impressed by this article where the magazine cover of a popular teens' magazine is totally and appropriately revamped. This  is the kind of magazine I want my daughters to read.

And, I've written too much tonight! What's the best thing you have read or listened to this week?

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