In following Christ there is no room for prejudice or discrimination against any who are ‘different’ in any way.
As the Sunday School song reminds us ‘All are precious in his sight’ and so everyone must be precious to us as well
If we are honest we cannot ‘make’ anybody into a disciple of Christ, that is the work of the Holy Spirit. All we can do is to live lives that are so transformed by the Gospel of Christ that people want something of what we have.
Telling other people our beliefs is not easy, and when we do we need to do so with love and care but it is a task that must be done or how else will people know who we are?
The old chorus exhorts us to ‘Reach out and touch the Lord’ but we live in a time when touching brings death instead of life. How do we still sing ‘Alleluia’ at the beginning of an Easter that feels more like Lent.
The light always, always shines brightest in the deepest darkness
40 Days ago the world was a very different place with very different plans. As we move from Lent to Easter the question God asks us is ‘What will you do now?’
‘Live simply that others may simply live’. Surely this is not that difficult a maxim to follow? However from the realm of fast fashion to the need for the latest version of just about everything we find ourselves faced with a world that is more interested in money than people.
How we use the goods of this world is often seen as personal business and we should be permitted to enjoy the fruits of our labour. However not all that we do with them is good for us or for others
Contrary to tales told by the media, most people do not enjoy being the centre of attention as it means they are distinctive in one way or another and become ‘famous’ because they are different. For Christians being ‘different’ is our primary call and we must be ready to acknowledge that we are ‘not as others are’
In a time of international crisis, more than at any other time, we need people to ‘tell it like it is’. Our predilection for telling half-truths to gain advantage will mean we all lose. It is time to be true humans.
