freedom...

...and this secret it will run to the corners of the earth, where every woman, every son, will carry highter their chains undone...hallelujah, king forever, friend and savior---Jesus' love never fails me...

Looking into their eyes, you can see hope. Hope they have not always had. I judge. I judge them for the color of their skin, for their apparent lack of social status. I see them walk by dressed differently from me. A little less full of pride. With inhibitions less prevalent. Wow, every color of skin is here. And they are here to pray for their city. They don't have the nicest things and they didn't grow up in Headland, Alabama, but God loves them just the same. And they love God too.

A man randomly shouts out in tongues a short phrase and quickly translates it. Another woman crys as the speaker prays for racial barriers to be broken in the city and over the country and world alike. One lady wears a lace head dress and blows a shofar. It is Yom Kippur, the day of atonement. This IS in the Bible. But it's still weird to me. I struggle with the thought of emotion verse Holy Spirit. The baptist in me is strong and fights hard. Or is it satan? That's in the Bible too.

I judge the black man who gets up there and prays but says the same thing over and over again. Seems like emotion to me. Is he sincere? I'm just not sure. What about the man leading the worship, I feel like it is so contrived. "Everyone move to the middle so we can all be TOGETHER". What about the baptist preacher that got up to pray. What does he think about all this weird "fullness" of the Holy Spirit stuff? He prayed for the politicians. No one prayed outloud with him or raised their hands like the other more pentecostal-like preachers....or apostles for that matter. Yes, there was someone that called himself an apostle. That's crazy. Oh, but it's in the Bible.

RC is full force and I just sit back and observe, afraid that if I let myself go it will be emotion and contrived. and now that I don't feel like I'm missing a blessing.

That's me judging, perplexed and frustrated.

I look at these people and a smile appears on my face when I see that no matter what they are feeling, doing or saying, they are doing it in the name of Jesus Christ, our messiah. Today is the day of atonement which fine and dandy, but the Jewish nation continues to walk around with a veil on their face celebrating these holidays, going through the rituals all while their messiah has entered those eastern gates already!! The tomb is empty. And I judge. I see the light of our Heavenly Father in their eyes and smiles and laughter. I LOVE IT!! At one point, after seeing a latino fellow praying his heart out, I said "I can hardly stand this!". In alot of ways, NOLA is like Nigeria. There is alot of bad. Lots of demonic stuff both places, but when these people find the joy of the Lord....they have found the JOY of the LORD!!

I want to not care about any of these stupid conflicts that I conjure up in my head. I want to love the Lord my God with all my heart with all my mind and with all my soul. Period.

These are the people I will be with in Heaven! I better get used to praising the Lord with them and stop placing my silly judgements on them.

We are free, hallelujah, we are free!!!