God's Love
Lest we forget
12/11/11
Life is precious, and one of the things that I believe makes it precious is the love and friendship of family and friends. We love reasons to celebrate, birthdays, anniversaries, passing exams, getting engaged or job promotions.
At these occasions the person behind the reason for the celebration feels special and loved. This weekend is the first birthday since a very dear friend of mine died.
Her birthday, even though we are no longer together is a chance to pause and remember past birthdays and the friendship we enjoyed. I am thinking of all that made her precious to me and this act of remembrance keeps our friendship alive and seems to help me realise the worth of her life.
Nationally, actually globally we are at that time of year set apart for remembrance. Remembering the sacrifices both past and present of so many service personnel who were willing to give their time, talents and ultimately their lives for their country and the values they stood for humbles me. It reminds me of the words of Jesus when He said “greater love has no one than this, that a person lay down their life for their friends.” I need Remembrance Day because I get so caught up in the busyness of living that I forget. A remembrance service gives me the chance to think with love and gratitude of the sacrifice of others. It is an opportunity for me to reassess my values and question whether my life allows time for serving others.
Jesus Christ was also a casualty of war, not between nations but against good and evil. I am reminded of that saying, “For evil to prevail, good men simply have to do nothing”. Jesus did not DO NOTHING. He sacrificed position, power, authority and wealth to come to earth to remind us of the incredible love God has for people and the hatred He has of war. Finally He sacrificed His life so that war will definitely become a thing of the past along with tears, pain, separation and death. He didn’t give us a date to remember His sacrifice but suggested that every time we drink wine and eat bread we pause to remember and give thanks.
William Shakespeare is quoted as saying, “Praising what is lost makes the remembrance dear”.
Whatever you are remembering this weekend I hope that you will remember that the sacrifice of Jesus will one day wipe out the need for painful reminders. In the meantime make time to pause and remember - every life is precious.
Photo (top): By Eric Hill from Boston, MA, USA [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Photo (bottom) By Benoit Aubry of Ottawa
At these occasions the person behind the reason for the celebration feels special and loved. This weekend is the first birthday since a very dear friend of mine died.
Nationally, actually globally we are at that time of year set apart for remembrance. Remembering the sacrifices both past and present of so many service personnel who were willing to give their time, talents and ultimately their lives for their country and the values they stood for humbles me. It reminds me of the words of Jesus when He said “greater love has no one than this, that a person lay down their life for their friends.” I need Remembrance Day because I get so caught up in the busyness of living that I forget. A remembrance service gives me the chance to think with love and gratitude of the sacrifice of others. It is an opportunity for me to reassess my values and question whether my life allows time for serving others.
Jesus Christ was also a casualty of war, not between nations but against good and evil. I am reminded of that saying, “For evil to prevail, good men simply have to do nothing”. Jesus did not DO NOTHING. He sacrificed position, power, authority and wealth to come to earth to remind us of the incredible love God has for people and the hatred He has of war. Finally He sacrificed His life so that war will definitely become a thing of the past along with tears, pain, separation and death. He didn’t give us a date to remember His sacrifice but suggested that every time we drink wine and eat bread we pause to remember and give thanks.
William Shakespeare is quoted as saying, “Praising what is lost makes the remembrance dear”.
Whatever you are remembering this weekend I hope that you will remember that the sacrifice of Jesus will one day wipe out the need for painful reminders. In the meantime make time to pause and remember - every life is precious.
Photo (top): By Eric Hill from Boston, MA, USA [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Photo (bottom) By Benoit Aubry of Ottawa
Why bother with Easter? What is there to celebrate?
05/04/11
Many consider the cross to be the most common religious symbol in the world. The cross was a common site in the early first century. The cross, a Roman implement of torture leading to death, was thought to be the worst way to die.
Jesus death on the cross has changed the world, for good and bad over time, based on an individual, or in some cases a nation’s, reaction to God sending Jesus to live and finally die on this earth... Read More...
Jesus death on the cross has changed the world, for good and bad over time, based on an individual, or in some cases a nation’s, reaction to God sending Jesus to live and finally die on this earth... Read More...