...sitting in unlocked cells

He breaks the power of canceled sin, he sets the prisoner free;

His blood can make the foulest clean, his blood availed for me.

---Charles Wesley, 1739

I have been singing this hymn for most of my life, and other Christians have been singing it since, well, the mid-1700s when Charles Wesley composed the text. You can imagine, then, how surprised I was by something new speaking to me from this page of the hymnal.

I believe most of us are familiar with the idea that Christ’s sacrifice has freed us from, and forgiven us for, our sins. This act of Christ’s has removed the separation between us and God. Look closer with me at the first phrase of the selected verse: “He breaks the power of canceled sin.” Now I am thinking, what is the power of sin, if it has been canceled by Christ? For me, the power of canceled sin in our lives is guilt, and the inability to really believe in Christ’s power to forgive. With the memory of sin, its shadow, hanging over our heads, we continue to live as sinful, and therefore separated, beings.

And friends, living in the shadow of canceled sin, in guilt, is in no way living as free people. In a way, guilt is more of a prison than sin ever was---because, brothers and sisters, we sit in cells with unlocked doors, steadfastly refusing to step out into the freedom of forgiveness. By letting guilt exercise its death-grip on our hearts, we hold ourselves hostage.

But we have a great Redeemer. Our 'gracious Master' has not only broken the power of active sin in our lives, but also the power of canceled sin. We are free from sin…and guilt. We are free.

...to answer tough with gentle

Put peace into each other’s hands

With loving expectation;

Be gentle in your words and ways,

In touch with God’s creation.

---Fred Kaan, 1989

This world is not a gentle place. We value strength, even steel resolve in all people, and demand it in our leaders.   One of the leading candidates for national office criticized a decorated war veteran by saying that, “he’s not a war hero. I like people who weren’t captured.” Not tough enough. Several rather progressive social media friends admitted that their list of hopes for the acceptance speech of a major party candidate, the first woman nominee, included the item “just don’t cry”. Not tough enough. We tell our very young boys, and sometimes our girls, to “cowboy up”. Not tough enough.

But we are called by Jesus to live topsy-turvy in this tough world. We are called to answer tough with gentle. Called to walk gently in this tumultuous time, to speak gentle words of peace into cacophony, to use gentle touch to soothe woundedness, to whisper the gentle good news of plenty to the shouted fears of scarcity. To be knocked down, rebuffed, pushed aside, overlooked, disregarded---to have gentleness mistaken for weakness---and tireless, to brush off, and bind up, and gently journey on. With loving expectation.

It’s a tough world. Let’s be gentle out there.