A spattering of thoughts from one night...

Behold as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters,

as the eyes of maiden to the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God,

until he has mercy on us."
Psalm 123:2

It amazes me how the Lord continues to work in power even through what is weak. We had a full house yesterday for Creative World Justice, but it was not the usual crowd. we had eight people from the community that came not because of Creative World Justice, but varying reasons and from different spots in life. It was the first time the apartments felt like there was a swinging door (reminiscent in a way, of the house we moved from). I looked around the room and i saw the body (the beloved of God) as beaten down, broken, tired...
...and beautiful.

In all of our exhaustion as a house yet still open and welcoming, it was not us healing, but God was sculpting beautiful lines in the lives interwoven together for the moment.

So tired ...
... so beautiful.

At Creative World Justice the night was a night to align our hearts intent for Justice back up with God's (it was a vertical night). The Verse referred to was "Love your Enemies and pray for those who persecute you..." (Matt.5:44) It was fitting for the night...
It was a full night of various events and various thoughts, here is a spattering:

...A couple of the girls from our community witnessed a fight last night on the streets. One of the girls had the urge to break it up but the other girl held her back and said it was not time to get involved and they must leave. As they were walking back to the apartments they saw the guy that had been being beat upon trying to escape by crossing the road through the traffic, they tried to catch up with him but could not find him after he had crossed the street. so they came home. As one of the girls shared the story with me, my heart was filled with compassion not solely for the obvious struggle that was going on inside but compassion on those who were involved. Where does the bible...where does Jesus, talk about fleeing and letting hatred exist right in front of you...? I do not understand why are we limited to the care after the deed is already done?...Why do we not step in? I do not understand how such hatred for another being can exist...i have not been able to grasp my heart around these thoughts...

...I dreamed of gang wars last night. I continually arrived too late to prevent the damage, some one died. I was outraged and scolded them..." How many eyes do you see here? --"two." they said-- How many ears? --"Two" They said.-- Do you see hands? --"yes."-- Feet? --"yes."-- Do you not see that this is a human like you! Why do you hate that this person was seeking the same thing as you; a place to belong. Their desire to be, does not interfere with your ability to exist as well. When will it be possible for brothers to dwell in unity... "No greater love has a man than this that he would lay down his life for a friend" (Jn.14)

"You have caused my companions to shun me; you have made me a horror to them. I am shut in so that i cannot escape; my eye grows dim through sorrow. Every day i call upon you, O Lord; i spread out my hands to you. Do you work wonders for the dead? Do the departed rise up to praise you? Is your stead fast love declared in the grave, or your faithfulness in destruction? Are your wonders known in darkness, or your righteous deeds in the land of forgetfulness? "
Psalm 88:10-12

As much as it depends on you, make every effort to maintain the peace...How do we know if it depends on us...how do we know if it is something we cannot stop if we do not try. Do we exist only to attend to the wounds after they are inflicted or are we to stand in the gap distract from the violence?...just some thoughts that i don't have to figure out an answer to yet...

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed;
perplexed, but not in despair;
persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.
We always carry around in our bodies the death of Jesus,
so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.
2 Corinthians 4:7-10