There is a scene in "Jaws" in the bottom of the boat when the three men try to outdo one another with their scars. Each one has a story behind it. The scene, which begins comically, becomes highly charged with tension as Quint shows his leg scar and shares the tale of being on the U.S.S. Indianapolis when it delivered "the bomb." It is a highly dramatic moment in the film.
Scars are a record -- a wonderful, dramatic record -- of the dramatic experiences we have had in our lives. They are stories, told in tissue. Jesus' scars will never go away any more than the story of God putting on the flesh and dying for humanity will. Likewise, our scars of spiritual experience will never go away.
The scars many of us received from decades in an intense spiritual hothouse known as the "local churches" are glorious. Many have been shown on these pages with their accompanying stories. I treasure mine.
Paul, your attempt to deny these scars is an attempt to deny our rich, textured, human experience of walking with the Lord. You're wrong on this one, brother.
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