Come as You Are

The kids at camp were singing a song that I haven’t been able to get out of my head.  It is called “Come As You Are” and you can watch the video above (sorry about the ads). 

I truly love the lyrics:

​So lay down your burdens
Lay down your shame
All who are broken
Lift up your face
Oh wanderer come home
You’re not too far
So lay down your hurt
Lay down your heart
Come as you are.
 
There’s hope for the hopeless
And all those who’ve strayed.
Come sit at the table,
Come taste the grace.
There’s rest for the weary
Rest that endures.
Earth has no sorrow
That heaven can’t cure.
Earth has no sorrow
That heaven can’t cure.

These words put me in mind of Romans 3:20-24
“Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.  But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”
What that song says is ABSOLUTELY true.  No wanderer is too far from the love of God, but if, when those wanderers meet God’s people, we are cruel or unkind, our attitudes tell a different story.  Instead of saying, “Come sit at the table, come taste the grace”, our attitudes can say, “this seat is taken.” The gospel requires us to be “come as you are” people.  Through that Romans scripture, we are reminded that the wanderer, the broken, the hurt, and the shamed are all of us.  And we can make room at the table.  

You can order a digital download of the song here:

Come As You Are