I was standing and watching this kid getting his butt kicked. I mean he was outnumbered with no chance of escaping the beating he was taking, The surrounding crowd cheered as the beating continued. It was hard for me to watch at the age of 10 years old. Watching and just doing nothing to try to change the outcome of this young mans life.
So many times we find ourselves in a crowd of people that are cheering for the things that would devastate us if the things were happening to us. Yet we watch and say nothing because of the overwhelming acceptance of the horror that is taking place. We make excuses for not standing up when it was an obvious moment when we could have. We are afraid of offending someone, or pissing someone else off or even putting ourselves in harms way. The idea that standing up might just cost us something terrifies us.
We think that someone else will do something or maybe they are getting what they deserve. Whatever the excuse you remain in a moment of frozen animation. You justify your lack of action by not doing anything as a thought of it's none of my business or it's not happening to me so I'm not gonna get involved.
Well the truth of the matter is this. Heaven and Hell are two very REAL places. Now before you get your panties up in a bunch. Here me out. The problem is this. We have grown accustomed to the idea that things will just "pan out". Well if that is true then your motionlessness is justified but what if just what if you were put in this moment at this time to step in and try to change the outcome and the suffering and the pain in someones life.
I'm tired of just standing by and saying to my self that "Well Jesus You take care of them." Maybe the reason we are standing there watching this brutality is to step inside the circle and put ourselves in the line of fire. Yea it's gonna hurt and your gonna bleed and get dirty. You might even piss some people off and maybe loose some friends. However the ONE taking the beating is in a spot were they need some one to step up and help them out.
Now I started with a story from my childhood. Well I did something that day. I stepped inside that circle and defended this stranger. I would love to say that once I stood inside everything stopped. Well it didn't and we fought until the teachers showed and broke us up. The strangers name was Daniel and we became best friends after that. We never went anywhere without each other. Turn out he was my next door neighbor. You see I had just moved into town and didn't have any friends until that day.
So my question or maybe challenge is this. Aren't you tired of watching the brutality?? Then it's time to stand up. It won't always be the popular thing. But it's about pouring yourself into some one else to help them find the life that Jesus does talk about.
