Life Through the Lens: Where blood and dirt meet
Kevin Schrapel reflects on life's dirt after watching the film Mr Harvey Lights a Candle.
This post was contributed by Kevin Schrapel, and is the author’s personal opinion.
These thoughts came after I watched a TV movie I had never heard of: Mr Harvey Lights a Candle, which received positive reviews on its release in 2005 and can be streamed on Amazon Prime.
Where do blood and dirt meet?
It is where the aspects of my life I consider as “dirt” – dirt telling me no-one cares for me, and certainly not God, who never could.
It is where the dirt of my life meets the sacrificial blood of Jesus on the cross that the miracle of forgiveness happens: a new life begins, forgiveness by God, forgiveness of self, a new life full of unique and untapped potential.
A guy who started his career looking after his dad’s sheep, later became a king and did some pretty dirty things, like murder and adultery, came back to trusting in God’s forgiving love and wrote: “as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12).
Another who had a close encounter with some lions said, “the Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him” (Daniel 9:9).
Jesus, hanging and bleeding on the cross, says to God his Father, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34).
To a thief also hanging on a cross, a thief who finally trusted Jesus, Jesus said, “I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise”.
Paradise is anywhere you are, and you know Jesus is right there also, even if he cannot be seen right now.
Paradise can be described as being a state of supreme happiness, bliss.
Paradise: enjoying a new and unique friendship with Jesus, with his father, God.
When you believe and trust that Jesus’ blood running down the cross, in some unexplainable way, covers over all the dirt of your life, past and present, that is where the blood and the dirt meet and from that grows a new life of joy, forever.
I pray you will experience such a life.
You can help keep local stories like this one free for everyone to read. Subscribe to Murray Bridge News today and support your independent, locally owned news service, plus get access to exclusive stories you won’t find anywhere else, from just $5 a month.
