Cyclone of Sin

And have mercy on those who waver; save others by snatching them out of the fire; have mercy on others, coupled with a fear of God, hating even the clothes stained by the flesh. (Jude 1:22-23 NET_FL)

Dani and I hunkered over a tea candle as another blast shook the house. Our eyes widened in awe of the wind’s power. Cyclone Winston was the largest in South Pacific history. The eye passed between the islands but we felt the wrath of radiating bands of horizontal rain. Every tree was shredded, many buildings collapsed, most brave hearts trembled.

Sin is like a cyclone. It shreds life. No one escapes the devastating consequences. Sometimes we are caught in the eye where the source of our suffering is clear. A drunk driver runs over a toddler. The sin of drunkenness destroyed a child.

Other times bands radiate from sin to cause general misery. A father is addicted to alcohol and his children inherit the curse down to the third generation. Abuse, codependency, and addictions haunt the extended family The source of the pain goes undiagnosed and is absorbed into the morass of a dysfunctional planet. It’s the radiating bands of hardship and we’re not sure of the exact epicenter.

Whether it’s the natural consequences of a specific sin or the general trials of life in a cursed world, every sin results in suffering. Even my petty gossip and callous indifference cause anguish for myself and others.

It’s time for me to weep over the devastation around me. To weep for the suffering souls I know, to weep for my own hurts, and most of all, to weep because I’m part of the problem. I have to recognize the terrible results of sin and hate rebellion even as God hates it. A spiritual cyclone is destroying those I love and this life is my only chance to defy it.

Prayer: Mighty Christ, let me stand against the cyclone of sin.