Isaiah 13

"Scream in terror, for the day of the Lord has arrived—
the time for the Almighty to destroy.
Every arm is paralyzed with fear.
Every heart melts,
and people are terrified.
Pangs of anguish grip them,
like those of a woman in labor.
They look helplessly at one another,
their faces aflame with fear."
-Isaiah 13:6-8

Yeah.
It's passages like these that make me feel awkward about Christian Pacifism.
Not to say it makes me feel it's okay for Christians to act on anger and violence but this passage illustrates that as much as I like to think of God's love, mercy, compassion, forgiveness and grace...that there comes a limit to where God will no longer hold back.

I can't help but feel eternal judgements are not something that catches the person off guard...if there is not that willingness to reject Christ, the Gospel and God's love...then where is the justice?

Ultimately God is just and I am not.
He is Holy and I am not.
He is Truth and I am playing at being a scholar of something I scarcely can grasp.

War, disasters, pain, famine, disease, genocide, hatred, destruction all happen...will happen, have happened and will continue to happen...and I don't think it's too far off base to say that is not how God works...this Age...to show judgement, at least until The End.

This is a fallen world...my heart is overflowing with sin, lust, hate, guilt, remorse and God only knows what else.

God doesn't delight in this death and destruction.
Jesus weeps for His lost children.
But He will not be mocked and let evil go unpunished.

It's not about a list of right/wrong and getting enough salvation points...it's about us being hopelessly trapped in this circle of hate/abuse and it taking Jesus, fully God and fully man, giving up His life as a sacrifice for us.

Not just death...blood for more blood...but a final act to bring redemption and salvation to this broken world.

Broad strokes to help start the fixing, the healing...that in the next Age will be complete.

Words and exhausted thoughts.
Meh.
Meep.