Spoiling our view of the world

Remember those old phonographic records. I had a vision, or an imagination, that showed me how I was viewing the world. I saw it littered with a dust: the kind of dried-on-crusted dust that, if you hit with a hard brush, falls away. Anyway, as I zoomed in to take a closer look, I realized that it wasn't dust at all, but records: Phonographic recordings of all the slights and offenses and warnings that I had assigned to everyone and everything.

Then I saw a person, who I knew, and watched them. Perhaps they made a mistake or offend me because I walked up to them and stapled a record to their face. I guess I needed to put it in such a place so that whenever I looked at them, I would never forget. I don't think it hurt, they had plenty already. In fact, it was kind of hard to tell who this person was now, as I had so many records on them.

As I zoomed out again, I realized that these records were obscuring my view of everything. Nothing could be seen as it was. Everything had a record. Then, pulling back further again, I saw a great hand with a brush sweep across the landscape, knocking off the records from everything I see. It dug and swept, and a wind blew, and the landscape was shinny new. This was worth a closer look again.

So I zoomed in and I saw the person I had seen before, Still covered in the recordings of their mistakes and wrongs and offenses. Then I felt the impact of the brush and saw the records crumble and felt the wind blow. I could see them again - as they are, not as I had recorded them.

Looking around, I saw everyone without my stapled-on records. I saw everyone anew. My friends, my enemies, my loved ones, my co-workers, and people I didn't know anything about - everyone! I could see them for who they were. Bright shinning faces full of stories and loves and hurts.... all visible again to me.

So I tried to move toward one of them, to experience them, to hear them, to see them up close. I knew that I could connect with them now. So I tried to take a step, but I couldn't. Confused, I craned my neck to see what held me. Out of the corner of my eye, I could glimpse it. I was covered in layers and layers of records I had kept on myself. I could not move, there was nothing I could do. So I cried out to God, “Lord, help me let go of these records too!” I felt the brush hit me. I felt my arms and legs come free.... and then that cool wind wind swept through me, removing the final remnants of the records I had kept.
I began to walk, then I was running, then I was shouting for joy.

My burden is lifted

He paid the price.

I was blind

and now I see.

I was sick,

But now I am whole.

My burden is lifted

Because He paid the price.