We should not be surprised

It is interesting that we assume that the issues we are facing in 2020 are unique to our generation. In some ways they are - for example the Corona Virus - but in other ways we are just seeing a repeat of historical mistakes. Take note of today's reading:

"Don’t be surprised if you see a poor person being oppressed by the powerful and if justice is being miscarried throughout the land. For every official is under orders from higher up, and matters of justice get lost in red tape and bureaucracy. Even the king milks the land for his own profit!" - Ecclesiastes 5:8-9

For those of us living in South Africa, this is a sad fact. It is always the poor who seem to be at the raw end of the deal. This is why Jesus challenges us to stand on the side of the poor.

Matthew 5:3 - “God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.

Living in Grace

D3LM3

I don't want your vote!

Can you imagine a politician using these words in their campaigning speech?: 

"I don't want to get your vote, but rather to pass on something to you that will save your life!" 

It seems far fetched, but when we read these words from Jesus we see that he was not campaigning for public support, but rather passing on the Good News to all. I am thankful to Eugene Peterson for his take on this passage:

 

“But my purpose is not to get your vote, and not to appeal to mere human testimony. I’m speaking to you this way so that you will be saved. John was a torch, blazing and bright, and you were glad enough to dance for an hour or so in his bright light. But the witness that really confirms me far exceeds John’s witness. It’s the work the Father gave me to complete. These very tasks, as I go about completing them, confirm that the Father, in fact, sent me. The Father who sent me, confirmed me. And you missed it." - John 5:34-38

 

While we are on the topic of voting, I also found this verse from the Psalms. It gives us a different perspective on government and political office.

 

Psalm 145:13 - Your kingdom is a kingdom eternal; you never get voted out of office. God always does what he says, and is gracious in everything he does. (Message)

Living in Grace

D3LM3

The mighty will fall

If there is anything we can learn from History it is this: "The mighty will fall!"
Ordinary people often despair when they see politicians, leaders and government officials getting away with "murder", but we need to hold onto the fact that they will also fall!
Perhaps Justice takes a little longer than we would like, but in the end, I believe that God will bring  EVERYONE to account. It may be a naive way of thinking of it, but it keeps me sane, when I see the mess the world is in.

Read these words from 1 Samuel 1 and see what Hannah had to say:

⁴ The bow of the mighty is now broken,
    and those who stumbled are now strong.

⁵ Those who were well fed are now starving,
    and those who were starving are now full.
The childless woman now has seven children,
    and the woman with many children wastes away.

⁶ The Lord gives both death and life;
    he brings some down to the grave but raises others up.
⁷ The Lord makes some poor and others rich;
    he brings some down and lifts others up.

Unknown - "The mighty will fall. The strong will break. The courageous will cower.The proud will die."

2 Samuel 1:27 - "How the mighty have fallen! The weapons of war have perished!"

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Father George Zabelka

Over 60 years ago Catholic Air Force Chaplin, Father George Zabelka blessed the men who dropped the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Over the next two decades, he came to the realisation that he had been terribly wrong in lending moral and religious support to the bombings. In a speech, just before his death, Father Zabelka left this message:

"All I can say today is that I was wrong. Christ would not be the instrument to unleash such horror on his people. Therefore no follower of Christ can legitimately unleash the horror of war on God's people...All I can say is: I was wrong!
...to do otherwise would be to bypass the first and absolutely essential step in the process of repentance and reconciliation: admission of error and admission of guilt."

Now there is a thought - someone who is willing to admit they make a massive mistake. When last did we admit to making wrong choices & judgements? When last did we get to say 'sorry' and really mean it?

Living in Grace
D3LM3

P.S. I got this quote from Shane Claiborne's book 'Jesus for President.'