The Crying Poor

"The homeless - this is a problem but unfortunately we do not have the right to shoot them ." - Anatoly Mikhalev, Mayor of Chita, a major city in Siberia (reported in The Courier Mail, February 27, 2011, page 42).

I think we would all agree that this comment is an outright abuse of human rights but it also highlights a common negative view towards the destitute and displaced.  We might shout "I would never say that!"  but perhaps we are more subtle in our aloofness towards the needy.

I remember vividly the moment I first watched the news breaking of the terror attacks on the twin towers on September 11, 2001.  I was at work and in the tea room the television had been switched on.  A crowd of us were watching the commercial airliners crashing into the towers.  I was in shock and disbelief.  It felt like a dream.  Over and over for the coming days I would watch the same footage, to the point I felt emotionally numb and would turn off the television.  Even with the recent flooding that happened, I found I would turn off the television rather than watch the footage because I found it too emotionally disturbing.  Some would say to me "That's ok, don't go and upset yourself".  But is that the right response for a Christian?  In reality am I really saying, "I'm sorry but it makes me too uncomfortable to see you suffering so I will turn my back on you therefore you are no longer my problem - out of sight, out of mind".   The heart of the matter for me is selfishness.  Because I don't want to be upset, I will stop engaging on that issue in order to protect myself.  Is that wrong?  To break it down even  further, it's simply a matter of love.  Am I willing to go beyond my comfort zones to love another as they suffer and to act in such a way as to help relieve that suffering where possible?


In Romans chapter 12 we are urged by the Apostle Paul, "in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship.  Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." (Romans 12:1-2a). Our whole existence needs to be  involved in serving and loving God.  We are to sacrifice comfortableness and to no longer follow the world's attitudes of complacency towards issues such as poverty and homelessness.  But what does that look like?  A little further on in chapter 12 we read,

"Love must be sincere.  Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.  Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.  Honor one another above yourselves.  Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.  Be joyful in hope, patient  in affliction, faithful in prayer.  Share with God's people who are in need.  Practice hospitality.  Bless those who persecute you; bless and not curse.  Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.  Live in harmony with one another.  Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of love position.  do not be conceited.  Do not repay anyone evil for evil. "  (Romans 9-17a).

This is a picture of how we are to love others.  It is a Christian's privilege and responsibility to identify with others in their joys and sorrows.  As I about to embark on the Lent Event 2011 called "Sacred Friendships" my prayer is that I would be willing to sit with that uncomfortableness and ask God to give me his heart for the displaced and dispossessed.

What is your prayer for the Lent Even this year?  Will it be just another bible study or are you genuinely wanting to let God put on your heart a call to help the needy in Toowoomba, Australia or overseas?  Put yourself at the foot of the cross and see what the Lord has to say to you over the next 6 weeks.

True Love - Does it really exist?

Lois and Clarke,  Romeo and Juliet,  Elizabeth Bennett and Mr Darcy.........ahhh love.

Love, it is so real and yet so intangible too sometimes.  A favourite movie of mine is the  high adventure romance called The Princess Bride.  I love it's quirky characters and quick wit but mostly I love Wesley's undying love for Buttercup.  Take a look at this video of The Princess Bride to the song  " Wait for You"  by Elliot Yamin.

Books, music, television, movies, the internet all try to tell us what love is. There is a huge range in the definition and portrayal of love.  To some, love is equated with sex.   Others have given up on the idea of love.  It's just something Hollywood has made up, it doesn't exist, it's a delusion.  But in the story of Ruth from the Bible, we see true godly love from all the key characters, Naomi, Ruth and Boaz.  

Naomi loves  her daughter-in-law Ruth and treats her as her daughter, giving loving wisdom and guidance.  Ruth demonstrates steadfast and faithful love towards Naomi by remaining with her, taking care of her to the point of being willing to marry her kinsman redeemer and not putting her own likely preference for younger men  before her commitment to her new family obligations (Ruth 3:10).   Boaz shows gracious and generous love towards Ruth in marrying her even though he was not obligated to as there was a kinsman-redeemer nearer than him who has first right to a levirate marriage (Ruth 3:12).  I love Boaz's response to Ruth's request for marriage, "But if he is not willing, surely as the Lord lives I will do it." (Ruth 3:13b).  That sounds like a man determined and willing, not someone who feels backed into the corner bending under rules or regulations being forced into a marriage that he doesn't want.   In many other smaller ways Boaz shows kindness and love towards Ruth by taking her under his wings and keeping her protected and well looked after as she gleaned in his fields during harvest time.

                                             'Ruth Gleaning' Painter:  James Tissot; Date:  1896

The central message in Ruth revealed through the ordinary lives of a few Israelites is the character of God as the great redeemer who loves and saves.  The New Testament reveals to us that God redeems us at the cost of his son Jesus.   "But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions - it is by grace you have been saved.  And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.  For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast"  (Ephesians 2:4-9).

And so great is his love that his waits for us to voluntarily return that love "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness.  He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9).

So in a time and a world where love is a mixed message, and where relationships are imperfect lets look to the Bible to know what true love is and use God's love revealed to us through his word as our standard and reference point as to how to love others.

I challenge you to take stock of how you treat the people in your life and ask yourself the question, am I loving them the way God wants me to? If the answer is no, then start afresh today and ask God to enable you to love others with a sacrificial love that is not self-serving and gives him all the honour.

Taking the journey together

We have just come home from visiting family over the weekend and the news is not good.  Bev, my mother-in-law who has been diagnosed with breast cancer now has to have chemotherapy as the cancer was discovered to be more aggressive than first anticipated.  It is news that shakes us each to the core.  Cancer and chemotherapy are words that conjure up fear, making us truly feel our mortality.   As the family learns more about this new process we delve deeper and deeper into a place that none of us thought we'd be in.

Source 

I see each person having a different response as Bev travels her breast cancer journey.  I can't speak for anyone else, but for me, confusion and the need to protect and comfort others are my overriding emotions. I carry Paul because his burdens are my burdens.  I protect my girls from the reality of what's happening around them which means searching for a strength that I don't innately have.  Where do I search?   "I lift up my eyes to the hills- where does my help come from?  My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of  heaven and earth." (Psalm 121:1-2).  This Psalm has been in my head all week and has been a source of comfort for me because when I feel the worry wash over me, this passage helps take the focus off my worry and onto God and his faithfulness.    But I promise you it's not as easy as that - it's a constant battle that I have to engage in through prayer.

To be honest, I don't know why my MIL has breast cancer, scientifically I could answer that question, but does God have a hand in this cancer?  The bible speaks about suffering being used to produce perserverance and that produces hope.

"Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perserverance; perserverance, character; and character, hope.  And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us" (Romans 5:3-5).

I do not have the discernment to answer that question.  But because I trust in the character of God revealed to me through His word which I believe to be trustworthy and inspired by the Holy Spirit then I hold onto the promises of God even in the midst of my confusion and place my hope in Jesus.  It is hard to admit that I don't have all the answers and that makes me feel inadequate.  But what I've remembered this week has been "My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you" (John 15:12), and  "  And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age" (Matthew 28:20).  I've seen "joy" in this suffering - the joy of knowing God's comforting presence in the the midst of suffering, which is very different to the joy of winning Gold Lotto!

As we each take this journey with Bev and come across hurdles to our faith and courage, it is my prayer that each person will be upheld by God, sustained by his Holy Spirit, renewed by his Word and that love will govern all our actions towards each other.

"Growing Resilience"

"Standing Against Adversity"

"Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired of weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary and increases power to the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."

(Isaiah 40:28-31)

Source 

Feeling pressured?

When I worked as a Research Assistant in a Melanoma Cancer Genetics lab, it was my job to establish the procedure for harvesting and culturing neonatal mouse melanocyte cells.  Only one lab in the world at that time was doing this protocol and they had invented it.  I was trying to replicate their procedure in our lab so we could do a whole set of new experiments.  I went through six months of trials, disappointments, failure after failure to the point where I was questioning my ability as a scientist.  It was humbling to show up to my boss each week and admit that I had failed again.  I cried, I got angry and I wanted to give up.  It felt impossible.   Then after 6 months, I had my first positive result.  It was unbelievable! It worked.

Have you ever wanted to give up when life got too hard?  Relationship problems, poor health, hurt feelings, disappointments, grief, exhaustion, unemployment, and many other things can make life's journey a very bumpy road that can leaving us feeling more like road kill rather than that exhilarating feeling of the wind through your hair.

At the moment I'm reading through the Gospel of Mark and  I have been struck by Jesus' approach to his ministry.  From the very beginning of his public ministry he faced attacks from Satan,  intense opposition from the religious leaders, questions from the disciples asking for a "please explain" and an exponentionally growing interest from the public.  From all fronts he is being accosted for good and bad reasons and I wonder how Jesus managed with the constant intense attention. For a little introvert like myself, these kinds of pressures would be enough to give me a nervous breakdown and requesting stress leave from work!  But Jesus didn't give up under pressure or turn away from his task.  He stayed focused and persevered.

We see in scripture Jesus' response when the going got tough, he sought solitude, rest and prayer. After healing Simon's mother-in-law from a fever, all the people brought the sick and demon-possessed.  The bible says, "The whole town gathered at the door, and Jesus healed many who had various diseases.  He also drove out many demons, " (Mark 1:33-34a).   Immediately following this is "Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went to a solitary place, where he prayed (Mark 1: 35).  Jesus withdraws from the crowds several times during his ministry for rest and prayer (Mark 1:35; Mark 6:31-32, 46; Mark 14:32-36; Matthew 14:13, 23). We learn from scripture that  Jesus' rest was found in God, his persevering to continue in suffering was rooted in prayer to God.  Jesus demonstrated his utter dependence on God in his ministry and did not allow man to direct him (John 2:4; 7:6,8; 8:20).  He even  declared that what he says is what the Father has told him, "The words I day to you are not my own. Rather, it is the Father living in me, who is doing his work.  (John 14:10b).  Jesus lived moment by moment in constant dependence on the Father through tiredness, hunger, busyness, teaching, healing, being merciful  and compassionate, through the insults, accusations, character assassinations, betrayal, abandonment of friends and finally murder.

We are called to follow Jesus'  example.  Are you following Christ's lead  to depend on God in prayer for all things in all circumstances?  Do you pray much at all?  Give prayer a go this week and use scripture to help you pray.  If you don't have the words to say then pray one of Psalmist's  prayers or Ephesians 1:15-19b, 3:14-21; Philipians 1:9-11; Colossians 1:9-14.


Realise that our lack of faith does not nullify His faithfulness (Romans 3:3).