Juxtapose.
To place items or events together for the purpose of comparison or contrast.
Often done deliberately to highlight differences.
50 Shades of Grey.
A joining of pleasure and pain.
Deliberately presented on a date associated with love.
Hundreds of millions of dollars are sacrificed as people watch. Pain inflicted. Pain endured. In the name of pleasure. In the name of love.
And I am afraid.
I am afraid of living in a world where we numb ourselves to increasing shades of darkness.
I am afraid of living in a place where we have the time, money, and desire to watch bondage and pain presented as pleasurable pursuit.
I am afraid when a story like this plays out in the headlines as a
Redemptive
Love
Story.
As the lights go out and the show starts
21 men kneel bound in chains
Enduring pain
For TRUE LOVE.
They submit to injustice,
Because,
REDEMPTION
is coming.
The light reflects off them, and shades of fear are replaced with shades of courage.
The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?
I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD
in the land of the living!
Wait for the LORD;
be strong, and let your heart take courage;
wait for the LORD!
From Psalm 27
A Space for Grace 
As I see the evil creeping in, threatening to overtake our society, I too, am afraid. But then I remember the ending, for we have been told how it will end. Good will prevail, God will win.
**Interesting statistic – the debut of the movie “50 Shades of Gray” grossed the SECOND biggest amount of sales/viewings in February history, right behind “The Passion of the Christ”, which comes in as FIRST…
When I read that stat, I found it ironic, and meaningful. Yes, the devil is doing his best to deceive the world, but for us as Christians, we can be comforted that “the One who is us is greater than the one who is in the world”.(1 John 4:4). Praise the Lord, He is the Victor! He came, not to imprison us, but to SET US FREE!!
Thank you Arlene, for your voice for truth!
~ Lenora Braun
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We are free indeed! Thank you, Lenora!
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