News from around the world of massive storms , ice storms in Canada, torrential rain in the West Indies, wind speeds that are frightening , can anyone still doubt global warming?
That these things are happening at Christmas only compounds our awareness. Christians being killed in their churches, drone strikes continuing in Afghanistan..., food banks a necessity in this country, we are living in an age where the gulf between rich and poor grows daily, religious persecution is real, and the big companies search for fuel by fracking in this country and drilling in the Arctic...
Peace, Goodwill to all men....the message of Christmas cannot be heard above the noise of daily clamour, firms desperate to recoup their losses started sending out sales notices on Christmas Eve and continued all through the day yesterday, Christmas Day!
The world I grew up in was not perfect, there were glaring hypocracies, weasel words and self seeking but it was still a time when people could grow, move forward and take opportunities offered. To be a Christian is always an act of faith...but so is tolerance of other peoples religions.
If we are confident in the presence of God in our lives then we know the goodness of God on a daily basis.
So do Muslims, Jews, Buddhists. I believe in one God.....the words of the creed....but the other religions believe that too. There is surely only one God, called by different names in different places. But it's still just one God! This is common ground for every culture surely?
Time to stop fighting each other...time to support each other...to live in love and peace with all...
We have a planet to look after. I pray that this will become our main objective in the coming New Year and that we haven't left it too late.
Let Gods will be done!
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2 comments:
Powerful words.
I'm encouraged that Pope Francis made the radical statement the other day that all faiths are valid and real. That all faith beliefs take us out of ourselves and into the realm of believing in God in one fashion of another. I never thought that I'd hear that from a Pope, but finally there might be a man there who listens to where God is leading him, rather than seeking to protect what they perceive as the only true path.
God works in so many ways, who are we to question if he seeks to reveal himself in different ways to different people and cultures.
Peace and reconciliation are legacies of Jesus Christ and the likes of Nelson Mandella, hopefully in the year to come, if we are of one heart and mind, we will see them bear fruit. I pray that we do.
I have high hopes for the Pope too.....he seems to be speaking the same language...Thank goodness!
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