Throwing Stones – When Someone Fails

Greetings Dear Reader,

I must admit that I enjoy the humor of some of the internet memes regarding “epic fails.”   That said I must be aware of the degree to which I indulge in this.  It is an easy thing to move from seeing the humor in an ironically misspelled tattoo to jeering at the person who will carry the mistake until they can afford to correct it.

Worse still is this type of stone throwing that occurs when someone fails in life.  I have experienced the pain of someone deeming that my failure is an opportunity for them to attack me.  I am sure some of you have heard the expression that “Christians shoot their wounded.”  I have been the target and seen it done to others.

When one of us fails or falls it may be the most important time for the rest of us to hand out grace.  I need to be the one who steps forward with grace, mercy, and kindness even if no one else will.  Instead we often throw epithets and pejorative comments at those whose sin we see as worse than our own.  When I attack someone else who has need of grace and mercy I limit my own grace and mercy.

It is too easy to shoot the wounded.  Through love, grace, and mercy we can help them heal.  If I wish to faithfully follow Christ then I will not hesitate to reach out to those who have fallen or failed.  I will move quickly to offer a hand up and an opportunity to restoration if I wish to see grace the way Christ sees it.  Anything less is throwing stones or watching whilst others do it.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."