I have had a pretty rough week in some ways.
Been a little down, feeling under some sense of oppression.
There are days when you just don't feel like you normally do.
But thank goodness for God's wisdom. 7 days.
Church this morning was so encouraging, and at the same time challenging.
Steve Mc Kinnon from Tear Fund came and we celebrated the 'Survive Past Five' Micah challenge. (Micah Challenge)
Steve spoke about how flowing out of your love for God will come mercy and justice for the poor. He gave a challenge to protest injustice. (Mic 6.8)
It was profound, and delivered in Steve's measured style.
Afterwards we celebrated how many children are now surviving past the age of five. Things are getting better.
I have hope for the future.
I see Christians like lights, shining in the darkness all over the place.
Yes, there are awful things happening, but I see a generation rising up to take their place, being salt and light.
(Here is part of what Steve Mc Kinnon shared in his own words)
“The poor you’ll always have with you”. This is taken straight out of Deut 15: 11. Where in Deut 15:4 God says that if you obey the law- (so the year of Jubilee, the gleaning, the structural laws I’ve set up there should be no poor amongst you: but if you don’t obey; there will always be the poor. What Jesus is saying is a back handed slap to Israel’s disobedience of the law & of himself. Jesus is prophesying against structural, economic and social injustice.
So Jesus is not resigning himself & saying, “Don’t worry about the poor you just carry on self centred life”. The poor were a very high priority for Jesus. In actual fact Jean Vanier believes Jesus is saying, “You won’t have me much longer but when I go I’ll leave the poor in my place & how you treat them is how you treat me.
So the very text used to justify why Christians shouldn’t care for the poor seems to be one of the texts that should motivate us to care for the poor. (CB Samuels quote)
(Steve Mc Kinnon)
Where Was Jesus?
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