Everyday; The pressing and assault of our Humanity

    Can you wake up today and not be confronted by all the needs of our humanity?  Can you drive along to work and not be confronted by one on the street, who is poor or is at least appearing to be one who is in need and not feel the tug on your heart? Everyday, I know I am confronted with issues that make or break my level of Christianity.  Some days I just want to retreat into my ownself and not be asked any thing of me.  I cannot keep up with all of the issues of those people around me that require me to be well "perfect", as Jesus commanded us to be, those of us who have forsaken all of the things in this world that oppose God's kingdom and will.  I cannot do it and so I look for the grace that Paul preached.  And yet I know that I am far away from the level of righeteouness (that of the Pharisees) who practiced a careful reading of Law and Prophets to attempt to attain Holiness.  They failed and were singled out by John and Jesus both as vipers.  What a word.  And reminded to wash both the inside and outside of the cup. Jesus told his disciples that "my word has made you clean."  This was at the washing of their feet and a teaching that we were to employ ourselves.
    And so, I am constantly battered by the needs, wants of a world spinning much too fast and attuned to a global media that funnels all of life's events into micro-seconds and bites of information that can put me right into a quagmire of well,  a feeling of heaviness that I do not want.
    So how do I go on?  I go on knowing that it is impossible to without a certain faith that does not come from this world or it's teachings, but enters in by one who lived it before me.  Yes I do admit I fail and see all of the still dark corners of my heart at times and yield to self pity and doubts but somehow shake off that and remember my teacher from Israel.  If I don't, then I begin to lose my saltiness as Jesus said and I am good for nothing!  And so everyday something will come at me to challenge my heart, and everyday I will remember that I am not alone, but am surrounded by a multidude of invisible and  sometines unreachable people also on the journey that I am on.  I am also reminded that in the heavenlies, there are those Angels, ministers of fire and of God himself that look on in a kind of wonder at all of the things we must endure, so we can inherit a kingdom not easily seen.