Dear Harpeth Hills Family,
“One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!” John 9:25
For the last several weeks we have heard messages about the gift of clarity. We have been reminded of the stories of Hagar, Elisha, Balaam, the blind man at Bethsaida, the apostle Paul, and Thomas. We’ve heard stories of men and women whose sight was impaired as a result of a physical or emotional condition, a personal circumstance, an attitude, or personal ambition.
The last five months have given us plenty of opportunity to succumb to the blinding effects of difficult circumstances. Surely, we have all experienced the raw emotions of fear, worry, or doubt. Up until the last five months, who among us has lived through a pandemic? Who among us, during this season, has not personally expressed feelings of “being on edge” or “on your last nerve” or experienced your own “enough is enough” moments? How are we to find clarity in the midst of chaos and uncertainty?
Isn’t our source of clarity the same as the source who gave sight to the blind; who revealed himself on the Damascus Road to Paul; and who removed all doubt by standing face to face with Thomas? These words from Charlie Hall’s “Mystery” seem to capture the true source of clarity that the world is desperately in need of right now:
“Sweet Jesus Christ my sanity.
Sweet Jesus Christ my clarity.
Bread of heaven, broken for me;
Cup of salvation held up to drink;
Jesus the Mystery.
Christ has died and Christ is risen,
And Christ will come again!”
We love you dearly, our Harpeth Hills family. May we as the body of Christ find our clarity in our Lord Jesus – a clarity that enables us to love our neighbors better today than we did yesterday; a clarity that gives us strength to be peacemakers, not simply peacekeepers; a clarity that transforms us each and every day; a clarity that allows the Son of God to shine through us so we are in fact the light of the world. May we be these things because we know this – beyond the shadow of any doubt – that Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again!
Your Shepherds