casting stones...

Chapter 8 of the biblical book of John tells a story of a woman, a prostitute to be specific, who was brought before the crowd to be judged. The Pharisees looked at Jesus and told him that the law demands that they stone such a woman and asked him what his thoughts were on the matter. I love what he had to say, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." He exhibited the ultimate in love and compassion toward the woman. Everyone standing around her already with stones in their hands, dropped the stones they were holding and began to walk away leaving Jesus alone with the woman. When all the others had left, Jesus spoke tenderly to her and told her that since no one else condemned her neither would he. And he commanded her to leave her life of sin.

This is the biblical model of grace that we should be following. But instead we are so quick to judge with our stones built of accusations and harsh words clutched firmly between our fingers ready to be cast. We stand gathered around the accused in a throng of pious and proud law followers trying desperately to hide the indiscretions we ourselves committed not hours before. We cling to the comfort of the crowd believing that there's strength in numbers. We say to each other that we can't believe how far the person fell from grace and we would never be able to do such terrible things.

And then we are called out either by Jesus himself or by someone who has decided to advocate on behalf of the accused and give voice to the voiceless. We are reminded that we will be judged the same amount that we have judged others and the measure we give out is the measure we ourselves will receive. And we remember that grace has no boundaries. It is infinite and unconditional and perfect. And really the person has fallen to grace and not away from it. We are the ones who have fallen away from grace and tried to define it and put boundaries around it. And who are we to do that? Who are we period?

One of my favorite authors, Donald Miller, says in his book Blue Like Jazz that we are all capable of committing the sins that we self-righteously claim we could never possibly have the ability to commit: murder, adultery, etc... You know, the "big" sins. But really sin is sin is sin. A lie is just as bad as murder and stealing is just as bad as sexual immorality. Billy Graham even said, "Everyone has a little Watergate in him."

I am so tired of hearing people, those who call themselves Christians, casting verbal stones at those who have fallen off the spiritual pedestals that we ourselves put them on and into the darkness of the abyss below, those who seem to have proven their humanity in what we think are the "worst" ways. I agree that we are to hate the sin and love the sinner, but how is judging them loving them? It isn't. Instead of casting stones what we should be doing is putting an arm around our fellow brother (or sister) and saying, "Jesus has not condemned you and you know what? Neither do I. Come with me and tell me how I can pray for you. Tell me how I can best love you where you are and love you past the pain of where you are and into the light again." If it were you, what would you prefer?