Safe in an empty castle

Once there was a man who ruled over a small village in the mountains. He lived in the castle above the village where he could look down over his people. He loved his people and the people loved him. His castle was open and everyone on the country knew him to be an open and generous host. All was well and life was good. Then one day he had to make a difficult decision. This decision made the people of the town angry and the mob chased the man back into his castle. He bolted the doors and hid by himself in his castle. He hid there for years, afraid that the mob was going to come for him. The people of the town had soon forgotten the offense and went on with life. But their life was not as good, because this good man was still hiding in his castle. After many years of fear and misery, the man got tired of living safe in an empty castle. He decided to go down to the village and apologize. He was still afraid the people would hurt him, but he decided that being hurt by the people would be less painful than the fear and isolation he had suffered with for years. He stood in the town square and apologized to the people. The people quickly forgave him and restored him. The castle was reopened and all were welcome again. The man was happy and the people were happy, life was good again.

I think sometimes one of the hardest things for any of us is to allow ourselves to be loved and to be forgiven. We feel like we screwed up and people are angry and we run away. Sometimes there is pain and anger, but among people who really love each other such wrongs can be quickly forgiven and let go of. Many times we refuse to accept that love and forgiveness, we isolate ourselves to protect ourselves and find out that we may be "safe" but were are alone. Love is a risky business, if we are going to have a life full of love and people we are going to have to risk, no only that someone would hurt us but that we would hurt someone else. Jesus told us to love others as we love ourselves, but sometimes the converse is the hardest. We have to love ourselves, and be loved, as we love others. If someone wrongs me I can usually forgive and move on easily. But if I hurt someone else I often beat myself up. It can be easier to love other people because then we're "right" and "good" and "better", it helps our pride. But to allow others to love us, especially when we have wronged someone, puts us in a place of humility, vulnerability, and weakness. But that is the place we must be in order to walk with Jesus. To know the Grace of God we have to know that we need that Grace. Jesus preferred time with the "sinners" over the "righteous" because the "sinners" knew they needed Grace, they were humble and open to receiving God's love.

Sometimes I have to be reminded that I have to come out of my castle, to remember that people love me and care for me, even when I have wronged them. Being humble and vulnerable with people is much better than being "safe" by myself.