25 April – Ben Cornell, Hope Church

Inexorable Gentleness

The Kingdom of Heaven is like a ribbon of light continuing on forever through the infinite darkness, never deviating even by a fraction of a degree, regardless of what it encounters – as it goes, unfolding reality according to God’s word, his uncompromising truth. Inexorable gentleness. Inexorable holiness. Inexorable righteousness. Inexorable mercy. And it turns out gentleness is the most powerful of forces, carving through hearts, as water carves through rock.

But as water can be dammed, so even God’s gentle voice can be repelled. So gentle is it, that we can reject it, ignore it, not notice it. So inexorable is it, that the consequences of doing so are terrible.

Jesus followed that unwavering straight line in this world, declaring God’s truth, undaunted by the opposition he encountered. As we live in a culture that enjoys its freedom to reject God, we are called to employ the same courage, drawing strength from our knowledge that God’s will, cannot be knocked off course, even by the smallest fraction. God’s voice, once heard (in its many forms), is irresistible. Our appetite for it becomes insatiable. Our desire for Him becomes greater than our desire to wander free from Him.

We are enthralled to God’s uncompromising and gentle voice, bound to it, even if that comes with rejection or makes our efforts in this world appear futile. ‘’Behold, I send you out sheep amidst wolves’. We must hold on to that straight line of God’s good purpose, undeviating into eternity, undaunted by rejection. And although we make ourselves gentle as lambs in a dog-eat-dog world, we know we are part of something unstoppable, eternal.

I stand up and speak God’s truth, even if I stand alone, even if everyone walks away and nobody hears me, still I stand and speak God’s truth.