Incarnation

I watched the Dark Knight with Joash and May.

I am constantly amazed at the ability of certain actors who seems to have such ease and and skills in taking on different roles in different movies or even in the same movie. Maybe that's why they are actors. The really good actors actually clothed themselves with the personality of the character that they are portraying. The way they communicate and express themselves particularly in their speaking or not speaking reveals the depth in which they have enfleshed or have incarnated themselves in that character.

I observe that one of the greatest difficulty in our spiritual formation or transformation is in the way we communicate, especially in the midst of the people that we live with.For years we have developed a certain style of talking and communicating. At work or in our worshipping community we are more conscious about how we carry ourselves: one because we need to keep our job and two we probably only meet with them once a week. So we tend to be nicer, more courteous and polite.

But within our family we often get stuck with a certain culture of communicating that has evolved through the years...whether between spouses or parents and children.For any one who desires a much more healthy and happy family life together we ought to make greater effort in noticing and changing our style of communicating within our family.

We are not trying to be great actors when we make decision to enflesh ourselves with the personality and character of Jesus Christ. John the Apostle observed that " The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we behold His glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father, FULL OF GRACE AND TRUTH." John 1:14.

What a challenge it is to be able to speak the Truth in the spirit of Grace. To be able to clothe ourselves with this divine Son who came and walk among us as one of us.

The Ease or Difficulty of Forgiveness

What is our capacity to forgive dependent on?

Are there people that we find easier of more difficult to forgive.

Does God have a great capacity to forgive?
1 John 1:9 simply says " If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Do I find myself forgiving some easier and others more difficult?
Why is it that the desire to forgive is stronger towards some and not others?
How much does God longs to forgive us and why?

I believe that God has a deep and strong desire to forgive us when we sinned against him or our fellowmen. God hates sin and He hates death, and breaking of fellowship and relationship is a form of death - a separation, a disunited oneness. God longs to forgive because He desires fellowship, communion, oneness. It is the nature of God = LOVE to desire oneness, communion, fellowship and sharing.Our weak capacity to have deep communion with Him does not stop Him from desiring this connection with us. It is His great love for us that determines His great and strong desire to forgive us.

In Luke 15 - the story of the return of the prodigal son shows to us the longing of the Father to be reunited with the son. The Father ran to the son when he saw the son a far. He threw his arms to embrace the returning son. He has been waiting a long time stretching his vision hoping to see the shadow of the son's returning. He has great love for his son.

1 John 3:1 " Beloved, behold , what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God."

Our desire and capacity to forgive someone is really dependent upon how much is our love for that person. ...???