Child of Man, Face of God - Part III

The word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

-- Jeremiah 1:4-5

In the age of the second coming, which face of the less of us will we protect?  Which child of God, this time, will we deny three times?  And we place so much faith in a book written by men and touted as the Word of God; will we accept its sexist tone to deny that the Christ may reappear as female?  Will we fail at this test of tolerance as well?  The face of God will once again appear as a child before us.  Which child will we choose to accept or deny?  Who among the lesser of us will be appointed as a prophet to the nations?

There is no child born of woman that does not have sinful nature.  Does not have a sinful nature is not to say they are born with sin, but they are born with a sinful nature.  Hence the adage, "Spare the rod and spoil the child."  All children need guidance to remain on the right path, lest they stray.  Even Jesus had to test his mettle, as it is one thing to have knowledge of something and yet another to have experience of something.  To know you have done wrong, admit to the same, and to repent, will oft times avoid the wrath of that damned rod.

Children left to their own devices, without guidance or role model, will easily stray to the inviting side of evil.  Even a Pit Bull Terrier is born to be one of two natures.  It can be love and family oriented, which it prefers, or it can be taught a meanness that can kill.  The difference between the dog and the child is the child's ability to choose that which it prefers; that which it inherently knows and has been taught is righteous and moral.  This is why if you look into the eyes of a child that has sinned you will see the soul of a child in crisis with that which it knows is right.  It may be a child of man, but you will see, through the eyes, the face of God reaching out to you.  It is up to you to deny or accept the plea.

The child's soul left too long in the darkness will be like a festering wound.  Caught in time it may recover with a healthy dose of love and attention.  Left too long, or if the infection goes undiagnosed, the harder it will be to reverse damage to the soul.  Woe to any soul requiring amputation, and woe to the society that allows it.

Today we are seriously concerned about the Zika virus and its effect on an unborn fetus, yet our young people have been at risk of spiritual and moral infection for decades due to the growing lack of parenting, one parent households, abandonment, and more which society condones by turning a blind eye.  As a society we should be ashamed.  As people of faith, we should be ashamed and appalled as children walk the streets at risk, or die alone of violence and hunger.  We have to ask ourselves, which of these lost children would be our savior?  Which of these lost faces will we look at and see the face of God?

Click here for: Child of Man Face of God - Part I or Child of Man, Face of God - Part II

Editor's Note 

(re: disclaimer cum "get out of jail free" card) 

Before you go getting your panties in a bunch, it is essential to understand that this is just an opinion site and, as such, can be subjected to scrutiny by anyone with a differing opinion. It doesn't make either opinion any more right or wrong than the other. An opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form opinions of their own, if they haven't already done so. This is also why, occasionally, I will present an "opinion" just to stir an emotional pot. Where it may sound like I agree with the statements made, I'm more interested in getting others to consider another viewpoint. 

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and then engaging in peaceful, constructive, discussion in an arena of mutual respect concerning the opinions put forth. After over twenty years with military intelligence, I have come to believe engaging each other in this manner and in this arena is the way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.

We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human. God's test for us is what we do afterward, and what we learn from the experience.

Pastor Tony spent 22 years with Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, and instructor. He is founder of the Congregation for Religious Tolerance and author/editor of the Congregation's official blog site, "The Path," which offers a vehicle for commentary and guidance concerning one's own personal, spiritual, path toward peace and the final destination.