Stepping Into Hope, Original Collage, Marcia Carole
I sense I am stepping into HOPE when I read how Jesus cared for both the angry men, and for the adulterous woman in the passage I am collaging. In this passage of Scripture, angry men were trying to drag Him into their darkness, “Shouldn’t we stone this woman?” They were testing His level of legal prowess on His way to the cross. Jesus took a pause (“faccio una pausa” in Italian) and began writing, drawing in the sand.
When He was “speaking” with the men by writing something in the sand, I see Him as cutting through their pride and anger, their blackness. We don’t know what He was writing, however it is certainly convicting when paired with His statement, “He who is without sin may cast the first stone.” Jesus doesn’t give them a big lecture with scriptural cross references; He draws in the sand.
For me, I see Jesus helping these men out of a black space, a space full of the I am better than you stance and heavy condemnation, a space of legalism. “He who is without sin may cast the first stone,” says Jesus. One by one, from the oldest to the youngest, they leave their dark space, drop their rocks and head home. That early morning, He shoots arrows of grace into their souls, piercing their darkness, inviting them to a place of light and freedom. The oldest acknowledges his sin first, drops his rock and walks away. The rest soon follow. They step into HOPE.
Why am I HOPEFUL? If Jesus can pierce their darkness, He can pierce the dark parts of my soul and story as well. He can bring grace, light, LIFE, hope, healing into the bruised and pride-filled areas of my heart where I haul around judgement like too much large luggage on a long trip home. He can help me “drop my rocks” as well. And, frankly, He has been doing that quite a bit lately. With thanksgiving, I can bring that same HOPE to others through my art. Jesus is the only true diety, who meets you right where you are, lovingly convicting of wrongs and pride, on His way to the cross for you. Now that’s HOPE worth stepping into!
