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MC McDonald, PhD's avatar

I'm glad you didn't listen to the part that was screaming.

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John Carlson's avatar

Beautiful piece this week, Chris!

"Dear God, Fixed that for you. You’re welcome. Love, A & E ❤️" I just love that. That's a keeper for sure.

BTW, love and sin are the defining features of the human condition in my book. Yes, we're rational, creative, self-transcendent, and all that other amazing stuff. But that's already part of love and/or sin.

Keep sharing your vibrant thoughts.

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Chris Rhoden's avatar

John,

In my practice, we often talk about love and fear as the defining features of the human condition. As I was writing this week, it became really hard to tease out fear from sin. This bothered me a great deal. I don't like the idea of shaming/blaming people for their fears, as if they would choose fear over love. I'm hesitant to toss around terms like spiritual warfare, but that any might live in fear when love is readily available to them is the clearest evidence to me that spiritual warfare is real, and that grace, and only grace can release them from that fear.

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Keith Walker's avatar

I have always “known” deep down that sin was much more than what I learned about it. For me it has always been doing it my way instead of his way. As you stated, not unfolding to what he design me to be. I will need to reread this several times and I bet I get more layers than the first read. Thanks my friend.

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Chris Rhoden's avatar

Keith, Love reading your words. I think I'm grateful to have learned it the way I did, even if it falls short, as I think it does. Sometimes, old thoughts have to be laid bare for me to consider what lies below them. Thank you for this.

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Tom Sutton's avatar

“Hidden in plain sight” really struck me. When the answer or gift is right there. Unfolding my be the simple answer but we make it hard.

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