Innocent by Association
Innocent by Association
As I was driving to work one morning, a car irresponsibly and dangerously pulled out from a side street and continued down the road in front of me.
I slammed my foot against the brake and as the other car straightened out in the lane, my brain registered a familiar sticker on the car’s rear windshield. It was an Auburn University interlocking AU almost exactly like the one I had on my own car. We continued down the road.
Processing & Seeing a Spiritual Revelation
It was about five seconds before I went back and processed the event and the greater spiritual revelation.
A car pulled out in front of me, nearly causing an accident. I slammed on my brakes, continued on my journey and nothing happened.
I didn’t get mad. I didn’t think, “You MORON!” I didn’t yell inside my car, “Watch where you’re going!” I didn’t blow the horn. I didn’t tailgate the car to the next light. My heart rate did not increase. I didn’t remind myself that I needed to forgive the driver. I didn’t feel guilty because I harbored anger at a stranger for an obvious miscalculation. I didn’t justify my anger against an intentional offense. I did nothing but continue driving my car.
I’m not that noble. Normally, I would have done at least two or three of those things. I thought for a minute and realized why I had not.
It was the sticker. I had never put stickers on my car prior to my son’s entrance into high school. During Josh’s high school years, I had a cryptic MP sticker on the car, for Myers Park. When he went to Auburn, I put an AU MOM sticker on the car because I missed my son. I am proud of my son. I love my son. I want to be connected to my son.
I think of my son every time I see the sticker. Whenever I see another AU sticker, I feel immediate affinity. I am reminded of my son. I identify that sticker with my beloved son.
When the car straightened out in front of me, I saw my son and credited no infraction against the driver.
Immediate Forgiveness
There was immediate forgiveness without even going through anger prior to the forgiveness process.
I got the point in a way I never had before.
That’s what it means when it says that the blood of Jesus Christ continually cleanses me of my sin. God doesn’t get mad at me, take a while to get over being mad or having his feelings hurt, then wash me clean. I am continually clean. I am not dirty and clean and dirty and clean.
When God sees me, he sees his son…and credits no infraction against me.
When God sees you, he sees his son…and credits no infraction against you!
As believers in Christ, we are innocent by association.
