It is no secret... I love words. A dictionary and thesaurus are two of my favorite books. They are staples because they help writers find just the right words for any occasion.
I find it frustrating when the perfect word is eluding me. Eventually, it comes or I go digging for it.
Definitions add precision and understanding to the written word. Word meanings can change with the culture and the times. Some words and meanings are lost. I appreciate when "archaic" meanings are listed in dictionaries so we do not lose them. Yes, definitions get lost.
What never gets lost is the power of Christ's love to define us and redefine us.
"Let the One who created you be the one who defines you."
I loved this image. It captures Jesus writing in the sand next to a woman about to be stoned for the sin of adultery. I've always thought it odd she was out there alone... facing judgement. It takes two. Right?
I usually keep the daily scripture to a few related verses, but this story captures what it means to be seen, known, loved, forgiven, treasured, valued, and redefined by Christ. It happens to be one of my favorites from the Gospels. It is a beautiful glimpse into the character of Christ.
John 8:1 Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives, 2 but early the next morning he was back again at the Temple. A crowd soon gathered, and he sat down and taught them. 3 As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd.
4 “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?”
6 They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. 7 They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” 8 Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust.
9 When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. 10 Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?”
11 “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.” -John 8:1-11
I've always wondered if Jesus was defining the sins of her accusers in the sand. Whatever it was, it moved them. They walked away and so did the woman with the instruction to "go and sin no more."
Today, I am grateful for definitions.
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