The temporary loss of a Friend |
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Abductive Columns
The Temporary Loss of a Friend
For the moment we've lost a friend and a Christ-follower. But only for the moment.
No one was prepared for such an event and exit. The story is complex, but God is no less a part of this multilayered life now tangled with the intermingled feelings of guilt (even if delayed) and sin.
How could this happen? -As with most sin, gradually and unobtrusively.
But the story is not unique. It's a story that has been repeated, with variations, over and over through the centuries. So, if at some point, we find ourselves in a common storyline, whether in fact or imagination, we should not be surprised. We are sinners. The precise details may differ but the presence and recurrence of sin does not.
There is a subtlety in sin's work that blinds us to its realities; it doesn't feel like sin when we're doing it; it feels fulfilling and satisfying. When David sent for Bathsheba I doubt he felt like a sinner; probably more like a lover. When he sent for Uriah he felt like a "King" not a sinner.
Some where along the journey our friend withdrew from the life of worship--his adoration of God receded and an obsession with self moved in. Sin cannot be minimized, but let's face it--it's minuscule compared to God's forgiveness. In time, my friend will find himself and stand face to face with God-honestly, adoringly, and believingly. Then he will not be less but more, not demeaned but dignified, not condemned but saved. Fred is a disciple and you can find his writings by Googling his name
john acuff

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