No sooner had Boris Johnson uttered the word ‘lockdown’, than the nation plummeted into a state of panic. Like a plague of locusts, we devoured supermarket shelves of loo rolls, hand sanitiser and baked beans. The world screams, “Do do do” … but God whispers, “Be be be.”

As work, church, school and family life adjust to a new rhythm, may I encourage you just to simply be with God. 

Why not take a moment and meditate on Psalm 23: 

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.

He makes me lie down in green pastures,

he leads me beside quiet waters,

he refreshes my soul.

He guides me along the right paths

for his name’s sake.

Even though I walk

through the darkest valley,

I will fear no evil,

for you are with me;

your rod and your staff,

they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me

in the presence of my enemies.

You anoint my head with oil;

my cup overflows.

Surely your goodness and love will follow me

all the days of my life,

and I will dwell in the house of the Lord

forever.

Let us lie down in green pastures, dangle our toes in the quiet waters and draw close to God. Your anxiety, disappointment, grief and worry are drifting away in the current and God is filling you afresh with peace, joy, love, strength and hope.

“Be still, and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10)

It is from this position of rest that we can begin to love our neighbour. No longer are we ministering on empty but from an overflowing cup.

— Louise Davies, Director

Love … always protects (1 Cor 13:7)

To protect and love our neighbours, let’s continue to practise good hygiene and social distancing. Psalm 24, however, encourages us to go a step further ...

The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it,

    the world, and all who live in it;

for he founded it on the seas

    and established it on the waters.

Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord?

    Who may stand in his holy place?

The one who has clean hands and a pure heart,

    who does not trust in an idol

    or swear by a false god.

They will receive blessing from the Lord

    and vindication from God their Savior.

Such is the generation of those who seek him,

    who seek your face, God of Jacob.

Lift up your heads, you gates;

    be lifted up, you ancient doors,

    that the King of glory may come in.

Who is this King of glory?

    The Lord strong and mighty,

    the Lord mighty in battle.

Lift up your heads, you gates;

    lift them up, you ancient doors,

    that the King of glory may come in.

Who is he, this King of glory?

    The Lord Almighty—

    he is the King of glory.

As we seek to love our neighbour we should minister with clean hands and a pure heart. Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for their ceremonial washing but neglecting the state of their hearts (Matt 23:25). Outward appearances do not matter to God. God looks at the heart.

Lent is a time of reflection and repentance. It is our opportunity to be searched, cleansed and set in the right direction. And the good news, that unlike hand sanitiser, God’s forgiveness never runs out!

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

May we be cleansed of ulterior motives, greed, resentment, and a need to be acknowledged or recompensed. May our clean hands and pure hearts make a difference in our homes, online communities, workplaces and streets.

It’s time to love our neighbours.

The announcement of the lockdown resulted in the supermarket shelves being emptied of food, cleaning materials and of course loo roll! Panic buying stems from a fear of lack. Will we have enough? This is a natural fear and one that I have succumbed to over the years. However, Jesus reassures us in Matthew 6, that we do not have to panic or worry. He has us and he has this covered.

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.  Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.  If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?  So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?  For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.  But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

(Matthew 6:25-34)

Instead of worrying, we are encouraged to seek first his kingdom. How do we do this? We love God and our neighbour.

Let’s not hold back in this season. Instead of hoarding let’s be radically generous to our neighbours. Here are a few suggestions:

• Donate financially to a local charity

• Contribute items to a food bank

• Mow a neighbour’s lawn

• Buy a bunch of flowers and leave them on a neighbour’s doorstep

• Buy the shopping of the person behind you at the checkout

• Pay for the fuel of a stranger at the petrol station

• Let your tenant have a month off from paying their rent

• Give your employees a bonus

I’m sure that there are lots of ways that you can think of to bless others. Radical generosity looks different to different people. It’s not about the amount, it’s about the heart.

Let’s tell the fear of lacking where to go! Instead, let's usher in Kingdom Living to our streets, workplaces and families.

It’s time to love our neighbours.

A few days ago, a stranger challenged my perception of this current season. During a WhatsApp group conversation, they said that instead of saying that we are in lockdown, we could say that we are locked in with God. I love that! I am locked in with God. Without the weekly commute to London, the school run, or the busyness of a full schedule, I have more time to be locked in with God; to pray.

Prayer is a place of …

• Intimacy

• Lament

• Comfort

• Healing

• Rest

• Refreshing

• Restoration

• Guidance

• Challenge

• Miracles

• Redemption

• Power

• Commission

• Peace

• and much much more.

Now is not the time to self isolate from God but to come and be with the One who knows you, loves you and longs to spend time with you. It’s time to be locked in.

At the end of every meeting in Parliament, I always finish with the same question, “How can I pray for you in this season?” This simple offer of prayer is readily accepted by Christians and non-Christians alike. To stand with someone in prayer is one of the greatest love gifts we can give to our neighbour. So ...

Who could we ask today? 

Who could we stand in the gap for?

Who could we pray for?

Who could we love today?

And as we pray for our neighbours, let’s be confident that we are heard, God is moving, and lives are being transformed. Amen!

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. (1 John 5:14)

This is one of the most intense seasons I have ever experienced. Not only am I working from home, homeschooling my children and navigating social distancing, I am juggling every emotion possible. I am sure that I am not alone. A lot of us are facing financial worries, health problems, disappointment and grief. It is a challenge to look beyond our own circumstances and look to the interests of others.

However, on the night before he was crucified, Jesus gives us the perfect example of how to be selfless.

1 Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2 The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray him. And during supper

3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, 4 got up from the table,[a] took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. 5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him. 6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, ‘Lord, are you going to wash my feet?’ 7 Jesus answered, ‘You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand.’

8 Peter said to him, ‘You will never wash my feet.’ Jesus answered, ‘Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.’ 9 Simon Peter said to him, ‘Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!’ 10 Jesus said to him, ‘One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet,[b] but is entirely clean. And you[c] are clean, though not all of you.’ 11 For he knew who was to betray him; for this reason he said, ‘Not all of you are clean.’

12 After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, he said to them, ‘Do you know what I have done to you? 13 You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are right, for that is what I am. 14 So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you.

(John 13:1-15)

To serve one another, even those who are scheming to betray us, is one of the greatest acts of love. In this season, could we choose to put ourselves to the back of the queue and serve those in our communities, work places, political parties and families?

How could you love your neighbours at this time? Tweet us #LoveYourNeighbour or comment on our Facebook post.

Could we get on our knees, roll up our sleeves, and wash our neighbours’ feet?

It’s true: being quarantined in your own home because of the coronavirus isn’t the same as being imprisoned for your faith. But it’s still a form of isolation and we can learn from those who have experienced imprisonment, house arrest or deportation.  Persecuted Christians around the world are masters of the art of living authentic Christian lives in the face of overwhelming isolation.

The most extreme example is probably those living out their faith in North Korea. This is a country where one’s ability to think for oneself is severely constrained by the state’s surveillance and its gross intrusion into society’s public and private spheres. 

Christians in North Korea rarely have the opportunity to meet together to worship, because if your faith is discovered by the state, imprisonment will often follow. If you are more fortunate, you are banished to a remote village.  

Hannah escaped North Korea and became a Christian in China. But when she was discovered by the authorities, she was sent back to North Korea and put in solitary confinement after confessing her Christian faith. Remembering her time in prison, she said: 

“I felt close to dying. I was dehydrated and beaten until I was unconscious. When I woke up, I was dragged back to a regular cell with my daughter and other female inmates. Then they beat me in front of them. All my daughter could do was cry silently, which she did day and night.” 

But even at this time, she had one thing on her mind: church. Missing her church family in China, she prayed “God, change this prison into a church”.  

This is a familiar story amongst the persecuted church. When the Chinese city of Wuhan became the first city to go into lockdown, Pastor Huang Lei decided his congregation wouldn’t just ‘do church’ online, but they’d learn to ‘be the church’ online. Commenting on what they did, he said:

“First, we have more than 50 groups. Almost all the groups are meeting via the internet. Praying, studying the Bible, sharing, witnessing, praising and worshipping. Of those 50, we have more than 30 groups which are spending two hours every day to pray, worship, share and testify together! That’s far more frequent than our normal meetings. 

“Of course, now we have more free time; everybody is staying at home, so that’s given us the chance to do this. But we usually have the group meeting weekly and now we’re doing this daily – sometimes even more, so we are very grateful for that.”  

Huang Lei’s church has learnt how to build stronger community amidst the crisis unfolding around their city. Indeed, God does extraordinary things in extraordinary circumstances. And we should not waste this crisis by only entertaining ourselves until this is over. We can experience God in unprecedented ways. As one persecuted believer said to one of our field staff workers this week: “The love of Jesus cannot be quarantined”. We can experience His love and give His love during this unprecedented time in our history. 

And in many countries across the world, the virtual church that we are slowly becoming accustomed to is simply business as usual. Virtual church has always played an important role in the life of the persecuted church. Open Doors beams radio programmes into North Korea, uses television programmes in Algeria to support Christians unable to attend church, and provides an encouragement app allowing Christians in the West to support Christians living under pressure across the Middle East. 

For instance, Kamal,* a believer from a Muslim background, shared with Open Doors field workers how he got to know the God of the Bible through social media: 

“My first contact with Christianity was online; there I found videos of people who explained the gospel to me. After I committed my life to Christ, I felt God’s calling me to become active in online ministry to reach out to others.”  

Through Open Doors, Kamal has learnt how to build a social media strategy, how to focus on a specific target group and how to reach that group using Facebook, YouTube and other social media. He’s decided to focus his efforts on supporting isolated Christian women, noting: “Most women who follow Christ cannot come to church often, especially those from Muslim families. They are obliged to stay at home with their relatives and can’t easily get out. Social media ministry helps us to reach out to them because they have access to the internet”.  

But Kamal has to walk on eggshells online. “I can go to prison just for answering a question about Jesus on Facebook,” he noted. “That is why I try not to get involved in debates and focus instead on building relationships with people. Relationships are more effective than discussions.”

Around the world, the persecuted church is constantly changing its shape, adapting its ways of doing church and looking for Jesus in the most isolating of situations. But for us to reach those who are unseen and alone we need your support.

And they need your prayers. Because, while our movement is limited, Brother Andrew, founder of Open Doors reminds us:

“Our prayers can go where we cannot... There are no borders, no prison walls, no doors that are closed to us when we pray”. 

Guest post by Matthew Rees of Open Doors UK

*Pseudonym used for security purposes

The Good Samaritan is one of those stories that I am sure you have read or heard a great many times. This parable is probably the crux of our Love Your Neighbour campaign and it is certainly well worth another read.

25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

(Luke 10:25-37)

As we read this story again, here are a few thoughts for us to ponder on:

1. The Samaritan got his hands dirty for the Kingdom. Words were not enough. Prayers were not enough. Action was required.

2. He didn’t reach out to someone who was like him. It is easy to love people who are similar to us. Could we reach out and bless a person of a different life experience, religion, ethnicity, or political opinion? In this season of transition, it is obvious that the Labour Party is facing internal disharmony. Could we as Agents of Repair reach out to another Labour Party member who holds different political opinions to us and bless them. Could we usher in a new sense of unity by showing God’s love to others?

3. To physically carry a wounded person and offer to pay for their hotel stay goes way beyond what is expected. Could we sacrificially love strangers?

4. I am reminded of the famous quote from Martin Luther King,

“On the one hand we are called to play the good Samaritan on life's roadside; but that will be only an initial act. One day we must come to see that the whole Jericho road must be transformed so that men and women will not be constantly beaten and robbed as they make their journey on life's highway.” 

Let’s be encouraged to constantly fight for the most vulnerable in society. Yes, let’s help people on the way... but we’re in this to transform the system too.

Jesus tells us to “go and do likewise”. Enough said…

Let’s love our neighbours!

We may be facing the same storm but we are definitely not all in the same boat.

For some of us, it may feel as though there isn’t a boat at all. In fact, we are drowning! So what should we do when the waves are crashing in and we are sinking deeper?

I am reminded of a speech I once heard Gordon Brown give in Sheffield. He used this illustration …

A fellow was stuck on his rooftop in a flood. He was praying to God for help.

Soon a man in a rowboat came by and the fellow shouted to the man on the roof, "Jump in, I can save you."

The stranded fellow shouted back, "No, it's OK, I'm praying to God and he is going to save me."

So the rowboat went on.

Then a motorboat came by. "The fellow in the motorboat shouted, "Jump in, I can save you."

To this the stranded man said, "No thanks, I'm praying to God and he is going to save me. I have faith."

So the motorboat went on.

Then a helicopter came by and the pilot shouted down, "Grab this rope and I will lift you to safety."

To this the stranded man again replied, "No thanks, I'm praying to God and he is going to save me. I have faith."

So the helicopter reluctantly flew away.

Soon the water rose above the rooftop and the man drowned. He went to Heaven. He finally got his chance to discuss this whole situation with God, at which point he exclaimed, "I had faith in you but you didn't save me, you let me drown. I don't understand why!"

To this God replied, "I sent you a rowboat and a motorboat and a helicopter, what more did you expect?"

As Christians we often find it easy to be the Good Samaritan and help our neighbours. However, it isn’t so easy to accept help from others. It requires us to be honest and let people know that we are not okay. And you know what … it is okay not to be okay. God did not design us to be superhuman, bulletproof and to have it all together. 

There will be times when we grab the corner of a stretcher, carry our neighbours, and lower them through a roof. And then there are times we need to be carried by our neighbours.

Consider this message a little nudge to reach out and ask for help. Use your lifeline and allow your neighbours to show God’s love to you today.

 “You gotta fight for the right to”…

Ok, I will admit it, as I write this, I have that line from the Beastie Boys song in my head. Unlike the Beastie Boys though (although I'm tempted) I’m not thinking about the right to party. Not right now anyway.

To fight for the rights is to practice a practical application of loving our neighbor, or ‘to do to others as I would have done to me’. We have the ultimate advocate in Jesus Christ; his life and example encourage us to speak out and lift up those around us.  The need for this is highlighted even more during the current crisis.

A friend of mine, a former refugee from Iran living in Croatia, recently reminded me of Proverbs 31:8-9. We are called to:

‘Speak Up, for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute, speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy’

From advocacy for developing nations, refugees, homelessness, child poverty, loneliness and so many other policy areas. So many people are crying out to have somebody advocate on their behalf.

Even this week, we have seen even unexpected media sources defending the rights of migrant health and social care workers, and advocating for key workers often unseen or forgotten in ‘normal times'.

My challenge for us all is to ask: should it always take a crisis to defend the cause of the orphan or widow, the foreigner, or the lonely? Should we only make heroes of those we need at a certain moment? Where do we have the ability, no matter how small, to advocate on behalf of someone who needs help – or as Mordecai said to Esther – "who but you, have come to your position for such a time as this”?

So back to the Beastie Boys - What are you going to fight for?

Whose rights will you seek to protect?

Will you call out injustice, corruption, pain and destitution?

Will you be part of making your little bit of the world that much better?

Isn’t most of life assumptions?

We make hundreds of decisions every day based on assumptions about the world around us; many of these make perfect sense: we presume that the world will go on much as it has done, that the people we interact with will react as we expect them to, that things will be where we left them and that the water will still be running when we turn on the taps.

Yet in this season we have seen that the world does not have to continue as it was. In fact, in many ways it cannot continue as before. Assumptions are useful but they veer into dangerous territory when we take things for granted or allow pride to let us feel entitled.

The Bible has some clear yet unexpected warnings against being presumptuous. The book of Job is a great example against speaking out of a heart of arrogance. The cast of characters think that they have much wisdom to offer Job:

 

“This truth was given to me in secret,

    as though whispered in my ear.” (Job 4:12)

They also believe they have a right to share their thoughts and “wisdom” with the world:

“Should I continue to wait, now that you are silent?

    Must I also remain silent?

No, I will say my piece.

    I will speak my mind.

For I am full of pent-up words,

    and the spirit within me urges me on.” (Job 32:16-18)

They rush to defend God when it seems like Job is speaking out of turn:

“Should I remain silent while you babble on?

    When you mock God, shouldn’t someone make you ashamed? (Job 11:3)

And yet, we see that they are grossly mistaken in their assumptions.

Their wisdom is folly.

Their thoughts are not above the thoughts of God.

They have no divine right to share their comments.

God does not need their defence of Him. What a laughable thought, when one considers it: does the God of the universe need human words and wisdom to fight his cause?

“Can you solve the mysteries of God?

    Can you discover everything about the Almighty?” (Job 11:7)

 

“Will you argue God’s case for him?” (Job 13:8b)

As I have been reading the book of Job throughout the last month, I have realised that we are sometimes called to speak out, as the Spirit leads. But we are sometimes called to be silent. Social media is awash with the voices of people who feel they have a right to speak, that they have wisdom and knowledge to share and that they cannot keep their opinions to themselves.

>> We are called to be different. Not to jump to conclusions, but to speak gracefully at all times. <<

Yet one verse in Job spoke to me in particular. I leave its wisdom here for you to consider:

“If only you could be silent!

    That’s the wisest thing you could do.” (Job 13:5)

A few weeks ago when I was asked to write a message on ‘Hope’, I had planned to write about choosing to hope even when threats exist outside of our control. I am a mum to a child with complex needs and I thought I would share some of what I have learned about how to live well while navigating risk, given we are all living through a global pandemic.

But the more I reflected this week, it just didn’t feel right in light of the brutal, abhorrent murder of George Floyd at the hands of a white police officer in Minneapolis. Suddenly my privilege hit home that as I strive to hope through difficult circumstances, those circumstances are not made even more difficult just by the colour of my skin. I may worry for my children but not because they may be deemed a threat simply due to their “race”. This is not my reality and I can’t even begin to understand not only the pain but the emotional pressure that must inflict on you when having to live in such a world.

Over the years when thinking through different things, I have used the simple Why, Where, What to direct my reflections and prayers.

1. The ‘Why’ sitting behind racism includes complex issues of injustice which have become embedded in the very structures of our society and institutions. When anything is systematic, it feels like an external uncontrollable force due to the power it exerts on everyday lives. Rev Al Sharpton said at George Floyd’s memorial that this is the story of Black Americans for generations. “The reason we could never be who we wanted and dreamed of being, is you kept your knee on our neck.” We have a duty to educate ourselves on racism, while acknowledging the privilege it is to listen and learn rather than live such an experience.

2. The ‘Where’ is a more personal question. It is too easy an answer to state that racism only exists due to systems we cannot control. We have to individually examine our hearts and honestly ask whether we harbour any unconscious bias or prejudice based on stereotype. Often the ‘Where’ question can go some way in explaining why the ‘Why’ is so deeply embedded.

3. With better understanding comes the motivation to ask ‘What’ can I do. It can be overwhelming in the face of systemic injustice to know where to start. But as Christians on the Left we are engaged in politics for the very reason that we want to see a world redeemed and no area is off limits to God’s goodness. “Learn to do good; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widows” Isaiah 1:17. But there is also the work closer to home. Having the difficult conversations with family and friends to call out racism and condemn it but also discuss how we can personally advance racial justice, safely protest, use our finances and encourage Black entrepreneurs, businesses and artists.

I want to add one further question – “Who”. Who does racism effect? It might seem an obvious question but is important to come back to the point that there is a black community hurting. I spoke with a dear black friend this week as I was unsure whether I was the right person to say anything. But she said in her gentle way: that question makes it about you and that’s not the point, so please do write. As Christians on the Left we want all our black and minority members and executive members, to know that we love you and want to ensure we do all we can as a movement to speak out against racial injustice. Racism concerns us all. We are all made less when humanity is denied to some and when the image of God is held under a knee.

Hope was the planned subject for this week’s message and it is right that it remains so.

Our hope is in God’s unfailing love who will redeem all of creation to himself.

“God will never forget the needy; the hope of the afflicted will never perish” Psalm 9:8.

We know racism has no place in God’s Kingdom and God has called us to partner with him to usher in the Kingdom of God, where there is neither Jew nor Greek.

A friend shared this verse with me from Habakkuk: “The vision still has its time, presses into fulfilment and it will not disappoint … and if it delays wait for it.” As righteous anger builds, we join in the holy cry for justice and mercy and ask that God leads us into paths of righteousness as we continue this vital work.

Choosing love is quite easy when our neighbours are friendly and considerate and reciprocate our kindness. The ultimate challenge however, is to love those who are unlovable. There are people in our families, communities, CLPs, workplaces and churches who have hurt us and caused us pain. How do we love these neighbours? How do we choose love when our flesh cries out to hate?

Jesus teaches us in Luke 6: 27-36:

“But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them.  Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you.

If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”

Simply put:

• LOVE

• DO GOOD

• BLESS 

• PRAY

Not so simple to do, eh? Good job that we have a saviour who has been there, done that and got the scars (rather than the t-shirt).

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:6-8)

Jesus did not die for us when we were friendly, considerate or reciprocated his kindness. He died for us when we were the worst of neighbours.

Following Jesus’ example and asking for God’s help, let’s bring to mind those people who have caused us pain. What could we do today to love these neighbours?

For some of us, it will be the decision to start the journey of forgiveness. For others, it will be a deliberate action to do good, to bless and to pray. Whatever that next step may be, let’s keep love at the heart at everything we do.

It’s the greatest!

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

(1 Cor 13:13)