Now, don't get me wrong. I don't think Michael, or any of the Stryper guys, were perfect or idols. They had their problems, issues, shortcomings and failures. There were areas where their walk was not what it should have been. They messed up. Even as Christians, the spirit of rebellion and the hurt they suffered at the hands of "the church" nearly destroyed them. But all ministers fall short. All have areas that aren't right. So does the rest of the body of Christ. And as a preacher's kid who felt sick of being forced into a box that didn't fit and that I wasn't called to, I could so relate to the rebellion and the pain. I still relate, because those issues nearly destroyed me as well. But the God who called us is faithful.
I mention all of this, because even today I listen to Michael's solo work and Stryper. On my Pandora as I write, amidst the Jeremy Camp and Chris Tomlin and Todd Agnew a little Stryper must come. I love Shuffle.
This morning I sat after reading a blog on hope verses despair and blame. I remembered hating hope, fearing hope and losing hope. I remembered that slowly changing. I thought of one of the issues that I had the least amount of hope regarding was a relationship that I desperately wanted and prayed to be restored. It would take a miracle. So much hurt on both sides had brought destruction and built a wall between us that seemed impossible to bring down.
Like Berlin used to be, we were divided, and two people who should never have been enemies were at best in a cold war. The chorus of the Dixie Chicks song Not Ready To Make Nice seemed to accurately describe how both of us felt, and those who loved us suffered from the fallout. One of the things that made peace such a hard thing to create came from words that had been said that couldn't be taken back. Whoever first said words can never hurt me was a liar or an idiot.
Then one day, we both stopped throwing word grenades. We began to stop getting in God's way. I can't speak for what the other did, but I determined not to do or say anything to make things worse or try to force unity. I prayed and waited, waited and prayed. It came without warning, also like with Berlin. Overnight it seemed, the wall came down. Healing had begun. Restoration was in progress. It's still not a perfect relationship, and it may never be. But there is a relationship, and I thank God for it.
As I sat and said a prayer of thanksgiving to the God who made it possible, I heard the unmistakable sound of Michael Sweets voice follow Jeremy Camp's declaration about walking by faith. I stopped and listened because somehow this was a song I hadn't heard before. I thought it might be off the new Stryper release, which I intend to buy but can't afford at the moment,. but it was off one of Michael's solo albums that I missed, I'm Not Your Suicide, released in 2014. Now I have two albums I want to get soon. The song was All That's Left.
The music rocked, but the lyrics got me. I nearly cried as I listened to Michael sing about not giving up on broken relationships and refusing to continue in a war with words. It felt like God confirming what I had learned about restoration. Stop reacting. Cease firing, regardless of whether or not the other side does, and get out of God's way. It may take a while, but healing is possible. Restoration can come. And even if it doesn't, we can keep from increasing the hurt. The key is to not allow the hurts and wounds from our relationships to cause us to react differently than Jesus would.
They cursed Him, mocked Him and ridiculed Him, yet He never opened His mouth in defense or attack. He loved to the point of laying down His life. And in the end He won. Not only did He win, but many who cursed and ridiculed, then and later like me, came to and back to relationship with Him. Following His example can bring healing and victory in every situation, even broken relationships. Don't give up, and let us all put the pins back in our word grenades.
Everybody owns a gun
And everybody shoots someone
The words we say are weapons
of a mass destruction
But I don't want to join the war
or see you hurting anymore.
- Michael Sweet
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