Dear friends of the word!

What a crowd. All the customs officers and sinners had heard Jesus. And now they wanted to hear and see HIM personally. The fine, devout and learned people only send them angry views. Obviously they had made mistakes in their lives or took someone else’s money. Now they hadn’t had any more chances to find back into the “good” society – even if they wanted to.

And Jesus? Would He tell His message only to the devoutly and “clean” people of the middle-class? And would they, the customs officers and sinners, been labelled like they are used to? – That was the questions of those, whose lives had so many breaks to show. And then they heard Jesus talking about the Empire of God – in pictures that took almost their breaths. Humanly these pictures seemed to be completely strange – they told about a different reality – they told about heaven.

A Shepherd – so they heard – had lost one of his 100 sheep in the steppe. They knew how dangerous the steppe was for any animal – the animals needed the shepherd. Because the shepherd was worried about the one sheep, he left the other 99 alone in great danger. Impossible for an economically thinking person. But in heaven – they learned with great happiness – don’t count by any earthly standards. But there is only one love, that cares about any single one and follows him into the waste of his guilt and loneliness. – The guilt didn’t seem to be any border anymore. Unbelievable! – And even more: the happiness about the found sheep should be reason to celebrate with all friends and neighbours. Slowly they started to understand: If it becomes heaven, the earth is upside down!

I remember Kalle. He hadn’t slept in a bed for about 12 years and had lived on the street. With his dog, he knocked on our door at Christmas Eve and stayed for three years. The first time he felt loved for years now. Slowly he got unpacked. He did several thefts and had spend some times in prison. In some time he had another hearing. We went there together with him. The judge felt his good will to get back into a honest life. She looked at us. At first Kalle and then at me… Then she acquitted him. Kalle started to cry because in this moment he felt to be loved. He hugged me. We went into a restaurant and ate a pizza. He danced. He was so happy – maybe he hadn’t been so happy ever. He had found the way back. And I had an idea about the heaven above him. It was already in me!

Dear friends of the word, let us take a new standard in heavenly love. It isn’t to be found in any drawer! No it doesn’t carry the guilty into the public light. But it opens the door for the brother and sister who got lost into a new life.

For the On word team

                                                              Meinolf Wacker