Sunday, 26 July 2020

Let Your Love Flow


Let Your Love Flow Like A Mountain Spring

"Love one another because I loved you first" John 4:19

The Shiraito Falls is in the Karuizama-maci in the Nagano Prefecture. It is the spring head of the Yukawa River and flow like white threads rolling down the the rock face. The source of water comes from rainfall on Mount Asama and it penetrates the earth, travels underground only to surface as the Shiraito Falls an estimated six years later. It is a never ending flow of water, it seems, never drying up.

On 3 October 2018, Pat, Christine (my sister) and I went in search of Shiraito Falls. We almost could not find it as the road leading to it was not clearly signposted. Then we had to walk into a forest before we came to an opening. The scene that greeted us was quite unique, a long stretch of crystal clear water flowing down a low embankment like bridal veils. As I stood there enjoying the misty sprays of cold water a catchy refrain, 'Let your love flow like a mountain spring' came to mind. The same expression of love as flowing water is used by the Bible in the Song of Songs 4:15, when describing a lover, 'You are a garden fountain, a well of flowing water streaming down from Lebanon.'    

The Bellamy Brothers, Homer and David, released 'Let Your Love Flow' in 1976. People see this as a romantic popular song.  However, the Bellamy Brothers come from a Christian background and started off their career in Gospel music. "Gospel was really the first thing we sang," Homer said, recalling early performances at a nearby church growing up in Florida. Hence this song Let Your Love Flow also celebrates the Love of God, a forever fresh love that flows like the mountain spring.


There's a reason for the sun shiny sky
And there's a reason why I'm feelin' so high
Must be the season
When that love light shines all around us
So let that feelin' grab you deep inside
And send you reelin' where your love can't hide
And then go stealin'
Through the summer nights with your lover

Just let your love flow like a mountain stream
And let your love grow with the smallest of dreams
And let your love show
And you'll know what I mean, it's the season
Let your love fly like a bird on the wing
And let your love bind you to all living things
And let your love shine
And you'll know what I mean, that's the reason

There's a reason for the warm sweet nights
And there's a reason for the candle lights
Must be the season
When those love rites shine all around us
So let that wonder take you into space
And lay you under its loving embrace
And feel the thunder as it warms your face
You can't hold back.

This song describes the Joie d'Vivre (Joy of Living) that stems from the love of God whenever we can express it.
In the 1970s, there was a popular small booklet written by a Walter Tobisch entitled 'Love is a Feeling to be Learned.' It is an advisory book on love and courtship but the title, is intriguing. Love is a feeling to be learnt? One usually thinks that love just happens, spontaneous and inexplicable; sometimes defying reason - so how could it be learnt? As we grow older, it will start to dawn on us that love is often learnt and the knowledge of how to be and stay in love anchors all lasting relationships. If romantic love is but a fleeting moment, unconditional, agape love that God gives is a never ending stream.
An advice from CS Lewis is pertinent, “Now ‘being in love’ may be a good reason for getting married, though,  as far as I can see, it is not a perfect one, for you can fall in love with someone most unsuitable, and even with someone you don’t really like or trust. Being in love is not the deeper unity that makes man and woman one. I am told (indeed I can see it by looking around me) that ‘being in love’ doesn’t last. I don’t think it was ever intended to. I think it’s a sort of explosion that starts the engine; it is the pie-crust not the pie. The real thing, I understand, is something far deeper – something you can live on. I think you can be madly in love with someone you would be sick of after ten weeks; and I’m pretty sure you can be bound heart and soul to someone about whom you don’t, at that moment, feel excited.” 

The thrill of being in love can be so irresistible. We act right away on the impulse that romance, a feeling call love, is the only important thing in marriage. However, there is a big difference between what we call ‘being in love’ and the solid, persistent and indeed ever-increasing sacrificial quality - not only of attraction, but of bonding - between a man and a woman. That kind of love works on a spiritual dimension, given and sustained by God. This is the love for husband and wife and the key to a successful marriage.

Such love, also goes for other relationships, beyond marriage, for the love we can give is underpinned by the love of God. It is this agape love that keeps the fire of these relationships warm and alive. By the giving of God's love in us, we make His unconditional love, visible.

Lionel


Ref 1: Deborah Evans Price Reuters/Billboard 21 May 2007

First Published 11 Aug 2012


Sunday, 19 July 2020

Why Do Fools Fall In Love?




"Those who loved me," Jesus says, "will be loved by my father, and I too will love them" 
John 14:21

In 1956, a song "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" reached No 1 on the R&B charts and was acclaimed to be one of the records that defined the new and rising genre of rock and roll. It was written and recorded by a group Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers and helped to make Frankie Lymon a rock and roll pioneer. Frankie was only thirteen years old when the song became a hit. 
 
“Love is a losing game
Love can be a shame
I know of a fool you see, for that fool is me
Tell me why, tell my why?
Why do fools fall in love
Why do birds sing so gay?
And lovers await the break of day
Why do they fall in love?”
 
The song proved to be a self fulfilling prophecy for Frankie Lymon. After the success, Lymon started a solo singing career but it all fell apart. Lymon's career was over by the time he was eighteen years old, and he died of a heroin overdose seven years later. He was unable to develop any meaningful relationships with women.

One could well have asked the same question, “Why do fools fall in love” of the marriage between the prophet Hosea and his wife, Gomer. In Hosea 1:2 it is recorded “The LORD began to speak through Hosea, the LORD said to him, “Go, marry a promiscuous woman and have children with her.”
 
It was a strange command; a strange relationship developed. Time and time again Gomer, Hosea’s wife, would prove unfaithful to him and repeatedly, Hosea would reconcile with her. Hosea 3:1 recorded “The Lord said to me, “Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another man and is an adulterer. Love her as the Lord loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love the sacred raisin cakes.”
 
Why? The love-relationship between Hosea and his unfaithful wife, Gomer would be the showcase of God’s relationship with His people. Despite the unfaithfulness of God’s people, the Israelites, who would time and time again turned to other gods, God’s forgiving love continually forgave and restored the special covenant between God and His people. Hosea's love mirrored God's redeeming love for the Israelites and for Christians.
 
Recently, Michael Card composed “The Song of Gomer”; the first verse and chorus read:
“Don't know what he sees in me
He is spirit, he is free
And I, the wife of adultery
Gomer is my name.
Simply more than I can see
How he keeps on forgiving me;
How he keeps his sanity
Hosea, you're a fool.

Chorus: 
A fool to love someone like me, 
A fool to suffer silently;
Though sometimes through your eyes I see
I'd rather be a fool.”
There is a sharp contrast between Michael’s song compared with Frankie’s. Michael’s song speaks of a true and faithful love, Frankie’s song spoke of fleeting romance.
Love is all about relationship. As Christians, we are blessed; we enjoy an enduring relationship with God. This began when we received our salvation in Christ and this love grows as our relationship with Christ matures. Even then we often fail God; our love for God fickle, failing and fleeting. Yet, God’s love for us is forthright, faithful and forever. It forms the basis of our enduring walk with God.
We are loved by God and we belong to Him. Henri Nouwen wrote, "God says to you, "I have called you from all eternity and you are engraved from all eternity in the palms of My hands. You are Mine. You belong to Me and I love you with an everlasting love." (Ref 1) 
Lionel

Ref 1: Henri Nouwen, You Are the Beloved, Daily Meditations For Spiritual Living. Hodder & Stoughton 2017

Adapted from a sermon given by Rev(Dr) Andrew Peh on the 23 Sep 2012
Updated from a previous article dated 10 Nov 2012
 

Sunday, 12 July 2020

A Many Splendoured Thing



 
'Who shall separate us from the Love of Christ?' Romans 8:35a

Christians usually describe four types of love:

• Affection (storge,). A fondness between family members or people who have found themselves in a relationship.
• Friendship (phileo). A strong bond between people who share common interest or activity.
• Attraction (eros). Romantic love.
• Charity (agape) - Unconditional love.

Unfortunately when we look at love in this way, love becomes cold and expressionless. We reduce love from a powerful emotion and attribute to an intellectual concept. Instead, when we experience love, it is a wonderful and overflowing feeling. It's exhilarating! 

Therefore, I prefer to look at love as in the song 'Love Is A Many Splendoured Thing' based an a romantic novel by Han Suyin:


Love is a many-splendoured thing,
It's the April rose that only grows in the early spring,
Love is nature's way of giving a reason to be living,
The golden crown that makes a man a king.
Once on a high and windy hill,
In the morning mist two lovers kissed
and the world stood still,
Then your fingers touched my silent heart
and taught it how to sing,
Yes, true love's a many-splendoured thing.

To help us experience and appreciate this kind of love, the Bible teaches us to love sincerely and absolutely, that is, to “Love from the center of who you are; don't fake it” (Romans 12:9 The Message).

The 17th Century French Bishop Francois Fénelon, (Ref 1) wrote, "I live on love. Love does everything within me. It is only out of love that I was created. And it is only inasmuch as I love, that I do what God intended to do by creating me”. Fénelon knew that to be loved and to love is the deepest yearning of the human spirit. He also knew that love must be everything to a person, in order to give and receive love unconditionally. 

Hence, Saint Paul, in 1 Cor 13:4-8, described love unabashedly, 

"Love is patient, love is kind.
It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It does not dishonour others,it is not self-seeking,
It is not self-seeking, its is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails." 

We all want to have somebody love us truly. God has given us the grace and ability to give and receive such a love. He loves us so that by His example, we can also love another. Love is at the centre of every Christian inter-relationship. It does not matter what kind of love, romantic, filial or agape; just love sincerely, absolutely and unconditionally and we will be living out God’s will and intention for us.

Jesus said, “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. As I have loved you, you should also love one another” (John 13:34).


Lionel

Ref 1. R J Edmonson and R M Helms The Complete Fenelon Paraclete Press, 2008. pp 238-240

Post previously November 2010

Sunday, 5 July 2020

Love Changes Everything

'Love never fails.' 1 Cor 13:8

On 20 Jan 2011, as any first-time tourists to Northern India would, Pat and I made the customary visit to the Taj Mahal. It is the most beautiful building we have ever seen. The Taj Mahal certainly lives up to its name and reputation as the "crown of buildings”. It has a simplistic, symmetrical, white, pristine and feminine beauty which will fix the eye and drop the jaw of any observer. I stood in awe of it and celebrated the artistic imagination and creative inspiration of the human race.

This pure beauty aptly and eternally celebrates what must have been a stunning beauty of a woman, Mumtaz Mahal, to whose memory this mausoleum was built. Mumtaz Mahal, meaning 'jewel of the palace', was the third wife of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. So enthralling was her beauty that Shah Jahan fell in love with her at first sight at the age of fourteen. They were married five years later and she became his inseparable companion till her death after giving birth to her fourteenth child. It is said that Shah Jahan was so heartbroken that he ordered the court into mourning for two years.

Some time after her death, Shah Jahan undertook the task of erecting the world's most beautiful monument in the memory of his beloved. Construction took 22 years from 1632 to 1653, employing thousands of artisans and craftsmen and in its building, almost bankrupting the coffers of the rich and mighty Mughal Empire. It also cost Shah Jahan his kingdom. When the building was completed, his son confined him to house arrest and usurped his throne in an effort to stop the blatant expenditure and save the economy of the country.

The Taj Mahal stands today as a symbol to love and romance. For Shah Jahan, “Love Changes Everything”

Hands and faces, earth and sky,
Love, love changes everything:
How you live and how you die.

Love can make the summer fly,
Or a night seem like a lifetime.

Yes, Love, love changes everything:
Now I tremble at your name.
Nothing in the world will ever be the same

(click on title to hear a Michael Ball’s rendition of this song on YouTube).

One thing love changes is fear. Henri Nouwen stated, "Fear makes us run away from each other or cling to each other but does not create true intimacy. Fear makes us move away from each other to a safe distance. But laying our hearts totally open to God leads us to a love of ourselves that enables us to give whole-hearted love to our fellow human beings. In the house of God's love we come to see with new eyes and hear with new ears and thus recognise all people, whatever their race, religion, sex, wealth, intelligence or background, belong to the same house. God's house has no dividing walls or closed doors" (Ref 1).

We are afraid to commit. We are afraid of the 'Taj Mahal' brand of love. Ravi Zacharias wrote  “Love is a commitment that will be tested in the most vulnerable areas of spirituality, a commitment that will force you to make some very difficult choices. It is a commitment that demands that you deal with your lust, your greed, your pride, your power, your desire to control, your temper, your patience, and every area of temptation that the Bible clearly talks about. It demands the quality of commitment that Jesus demonstrates in His relationship to us.”  

Yet, Jesus Christ expects all Christians to aspire to the highest aspect of love - Agape or unconditional and sacrificial love. In John 15:12-13 Jesus said “This is my command: Love one another the way I love you. This is the best way to love. Put your life on the line for your friend." By these words Jesus shows how far love to another should extend, even to the laying down of our lives for our friends and neighbours.  

Lionel

Ref 1: Henri Nouwen, You are the Beloved. Daily Meditation for Spiritual Living. Hodder and Stoughtom, 2017

Sunday, 21 June 2020

Peace That Breaks Down Every Wall.


Great Wave off Kanagawa

'For He himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility.' Ephesians 2:14

Most of us can instantly recognise the Japanese woodblock print, Katsushika Hokusai's 'The Great Wave off Kanagawa.' The raging tide and high waves in the forefront confront the viewer. Yet set in the background is the peace and tranquility of Mount Fiji, Japan's revered mountain. One art critic states that this wood-print 'gracefully distills the power of the ocean.' The serenity of a perfectly symmetrical, pristine snow capped Mount Fuji, calms the oceanic forces. 

These are very turbulent times. The Covid-19 pandemic caused severe disruptions to life and stability. The images of community protests and riots in the USA disturb the soul. There is fierce anger against racial discrimination, may be rightly so, but very destructive nonetheless. At such times when we look for peace, our minds conjure up the picture of the tsunami interpose with serene picture of Mount Fuji. Then, we wonder whether the waves will subside, in time, before they reach the shore and destroy everything. 

The Hebrew word Shalom for peace connotes a total and comprehensive well-being. It is peace with fullness, completeness; harmony in every way. A serenity which transcends all people and nations. But unfortunately, it is so elusive.

Perhaps the juxtaposing of a peaceful Mount Fuji against turbulent waves is no more than cynical expression of this impossibility. 

Jesus holds out the hope for peace. His birth ushered in this hope and His second coming will establish peace forever (Isaiah 9:6, 7a):

'For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given
and the government will be on His shoulders.
And He will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Might God, 
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the greatness of His government and peace there will be no end.'  
  
There will be everlasting peace, Isaiah 11:6-9:

'The wolf will live with the lamb,
the leopard will lie down with the goat,
the calf and the lion and the yearling together; 
and a little child will lead them.
The cow will feed with the bear,
their young will lie down together,
and the lion will eat straw like the ox.
The infant will play near the hole of the cobra
and the young child put his hand into the viper's nest. 
They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain,
for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord
as the waters cover the sea.'

There will be personal peace, John 14:7

'Peace I leave with you,
my peace I give you.
I do not give as the world gives.
Do not let your heart be troubled and do not be afraid.'
 
In turn,we are expected to become peacemakers and a blessing was pronounced 'Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God' Matthew 5:9. Start small, first with ourselves, then family, friends and colleagues. Expunge every prejudice. Endeavour to live out the prayer of St Francis, 'Make Me A Channel of Your Peace.' 

Lionel

 
 
  

Sunday, 10 May 2020

Water Everywhere Yet Not A Drop To Drink


"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled" Matthew 5:6

The Rime (Rhyme) of the Ancient Mariner was written by Samuel Taylor Coleridge and published in 1798. It tells the story of a mariner, who was doomed to sail aimlessly through stormy seas and adrift in hot endless oceans. They were endlessly drifting because the ancient mariner, on an impulse, shot and kill an albatross who was leading the ship out of the Antarctic ice sheets on which they were trapped. The ship's crew blamed him for their misfortune and placed the dead albatross around his neck. 

The Albatross Around His Neck
The Ancient Mariner struggled to find a meaning to his suffering and solutions to the long-term predicament but to no avail. At one point the ship ran out of water in a lifeless ocean which spawned the memorable line in this poem, "Water, water, everywhere, Nor any drop to drink."

Like the sailors in the tale, we find ourselves adrift searching for answers to questions during the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic. Why is it taking so long for the pandemic to pass? Will we be able to maintain our jobs and livelihoods? We try to find meaning to this suffering and grief that affected so many families. We are apt to lay blame on anyone and anything. Some may even blame God. 

Yet, this is exactly the right time to look to God. The Bible often spoke of times of famines, hunger and thirst during which people turned to God. During such times we look to God to be filled. In his struggles, the Ancient Mariner managed to pray, the albatross finally fell from his neck, his guilt was expiated and his suffering alleviated.  

"Water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink" is a refrain of despair. There are other words about thirst and water, the words of Jesus to the Samaritan woman at the well. It is one of reassurance, "whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst again. Indeed the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life." 

This conversation, Jesus Met The Woman At The Well was made into song in the 1960s and sung by Peter, Paul and Mary. It began with a simple question by Jesus, "Will you give me a drink." Jesus was thirsty and He knew it; conversely the woman was thirsty but she did not know. He led her step by step, going over embarrassing facts about her life, until she  realised her greatest need. She met Jesus, He transformed her life. 


My elder daughter, Debbie said, "It is so amazing how Jesus always had the right words to say to people. He was able to tailor his conversation to inspire the educated as well as the despised. At the well, Jesus met a Samaritan woman and he offered her the water of life. How appropriate, to be meeting at a well and talking about water! It was the right thing to say at the time." 

We are all seeking for answers especially now than ever before. There will be an appropriate word for us today. Come to Jesus, Come to the Water.


You said You'd come and share all my sorrows,
You said You'd be there for all my tomorrows;
I came so close to sending You away,
But just like You promised You came there to stay;
I just had to pray!

And Jesus said, "Come to the water, stand by My side,
I know you are thirsty, you won't be denied;
I felt ev'ry teardrop when in darkness you cried,
And I'm here to remind you that for those tears I died."

Jesus, I give You my heart and my soul,
I know that without God I'd never be whole;
Savior, You opened all the right doors,
And I thank You and praise You from earth's humble shores;
Take me, I'm Yours.


Lionel

Sunday, 3 May 2020

Lord, I Stretch My Hands to You


'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. He will not let your foot slip— He who watches over you will not slumber.' Psalms 121:1-3

The “Creation of Adam” is a fresco painted by Michelangelo on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel of the Vatican. Anyone who views this cannot mistake the special relationship of Man and the Creator God. The face of Adam is one of an innocent person who looks toward God as if looking for instruction and and relationship, a look for love. God appears resolute but also shows a fatherly countenance.

Adam’s nakedness indicates a certain vulnerability and helplessness. He stretches his hand as if to turn for refuge and direction; very dependent on God. The hymn ‘Lord I Stretch My Hands to You’ by Jay Althouse with lyrics adapted from Charles Wesley, succinctly described the vulnerability-dependency realities of the man-creator relationship. 


Lord, I stretch my hands to You
No other help I know,
If You should leave me all alone,
Where then shall I go, O Lord.

Lord, I stretch my hands to You
Oh Lord. I give my soul to You
I seek Your care and love.
No other blessings do I need
but those from You above.

Lord I ask You:
Give me faith, and help me understand.
And Lord, when I this life shall leave
Just hold me in Your hand.

In God we will find abundance but unfortunately, many of us fail to recognise this. We want to assert our independence and in so doing, we lose sight of God. What a pity! We withdraw our hands and go our separate ways. In this zealousness to break free, we become blind to our spiritual inheritance and lose the wisdom of God’s counsel. 

God's hand, however, remains outstretched.

In my lifetime, I have never experienced such dark times affecting the whole world as in these days when the Corona virus ravage the world. The old and those with chronic illnesses are the most vulnerable and it is as if, we are walking through the valley of the shadow of death. This is not the time to turn away from God but to keep our hands outstretched towards God to find strength and comfort. 

'I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.' Is 42:16 

Philip Yancey in his book, ‘Finding God in Unexpected Places’ recounted this story, “Theologian John S Dunne tells of a group of early Spanish sailors who reached the continent of South America after an arduous voyage. Their caravels sailed into the headwaters of the Amazon, an expanse of water so wide the sailors presumed it to be a continuation of the Atlantic Ocean. It never occurred to them to drink the water, since the sailors presumed it to be saline, and as a result many of them died of thirst. That scene of men dying of thirst even as their ships floated on the world’s largest source of fresh water has become for me a metaphor of our age. Some people starve to death spiritually while all around them manna rots.”

'The poor and needy search for water but there is none, their tongues are parched with thirst. But I the LORD will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. I will make rivers flow on barren heights, and springs within the valleys. I will turn the desert into pools of water, and the parched ground into springs.' Is 41: 17-18

John’s Gospel recorded a gentle conversation between Jesus and a Samaritan woman; a woman looking for meaningful love and relationship.  

'When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?” Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life." John 4:7-13, 

If only we all can recognize our lack of spirituality and wisdom! Then we would stretch our hands to God to establish a relationship that was meant to be from the dawn of time.  

'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. He will not let your foot slip— He who watches over you will not slumber.' Psalms 121:1-3 


Lionel

Sunday, 5 April 2020

A Light in the Attic



James at Lighthouse@Kiama
"You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven" Matthew 5:14-16


Malcolm Muggeridge, an English author and satirist, was once asked the question, "What do you most want to do with the rest of your life?" He replied, “I should like my light to shine, even if only very fitfully, like a match struck in a dark, cavernous night and then flickering out.”

When our children were young, they liked to read poems by Shel Silverstein. One of these poems caught my attention

"There’s a light on in the attic
Though the house is dark and shuttered,
I can see a flickerin’ flutter,
And I know what it’s about.
There’s a light on in the attic.
I can see it from the outside,
And I know you’re on the inside . . . lookin’ out."

Uncannily, Muggeridge’s comment on the twilight years of life could well have been a commentary of a poem meant for children. A light no matter how dim or flickering attracts attention. Jesus told us to let our light shine before others

As we grow older we can become increasingly isolated and shut in, like living in dark and shuttered houses. In this final lap, many people hope to have the same aspiration as Muggeridge. If our lives in the past were not very good examples, we hope that however flickering and for whatever time remaining, the light we now have, would shine forth.

Light may be vision. Light may be virtue. Light may be wisdom. Light may be comprehension and light may be truth. Light may be a beacon.

Light must be seen. Why? Because the light we have is the light of Jesus. That light has a force-multiplier effect. It can reach out beyond our wildest expectations. Ephesians 5:8-10, "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases God".

There is a hymn, "Brightly Beams our Father's Mercy" which tells of the lights in each of us, as witnesses for Jesus, attracting others to Him. Our lamps no matter how feeble, may be instrumental in rescuing some soul, pull him out of the miry clay of his pathetic existence and put him on paths to salvation.
 
At this time we all are in the dark tunnel of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many cities in the world, including Singapore, are in shutdown mode and people are told to stay home and keep a social distance from each other. However, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, a light in the attic and beaming light from the lighthouse, the light of Jesus. 

That light will bring us through such difficult times. In the dark days of Apartheid, the Black South Africans had a hymn, 'Siyahamba' or 'We are Marching in the Light of God'. It galvanised them and brought them through the difficult times of protests and violence. The question is are we standing in the light of God? Will we treasure the light of Jesus placed in us? This 'Little Light of Mine' are we gonna let it shine?

St Francis of Assisi, kneeling at a crucifix towards the end stages of his life, prayed, “All highest, glorious God, cast your light into the darkness of my heart. Give me right faith, firm hope, perfect charity and profound humility, with wisdom and perception, O Lord, so that I may do what is truly your holy will. Amen”

Lionel

PS Be inspired click on the song titles for the You-tube videos of the songs

Sunday, 29 March 2020

Desolation



“I have destroyed nations;
their strongholds are demolished.
I have left their streets deserted,
with no one passing through.
Their cities are laid waste;
they are deserted and empty.” Zephaniah 3:6

Emeritus Bishop Robert Solomon, concerned with daily images of deserted cities and empty streets during this Covid-19 pandemic around the world, reminds us of the prophecy of Zephaniah. Zephaniah's  prophecy had been realised many times in the past. Today it seems that it is being fulfilled before our very eyes. He suggests that as much as we regret the devastation caused, we should try to discover what is God's purpose in allowing this to happen. 

The words of the prophet are very harsh, speaking of the judgement of God. What are God's purposes? 
  • Is this retribution for mankind's lack of conservation efforts of nature?
  • Have we been voraciously exhausting Earth's resources?
  • Have we been selfish, self-centred, materialistic, uncaring?
  • Have we been hedonistic, always self-indulgent?
The  answer could be all of the above and more; there are many reasons why God has allowed a very small microbe to devastate the human race

Bishop Solomon and Zephaniah suggest a purpose; to turn us toward Him with meekness and humility so that we can trust Him (Zephaniah 3:12)

US Vice-President, Mike Pence understood this need for repentance and prayer. He closes all his briefings with 'heal our land'. Devastation require healing; beginning with healing of self followed by healing of communities, healing of countries and finally the healing of the world. However this requires God's people to humble ourselves, to pray and to repent. If we cannot do much to combat the virus, we can pray and return to God.

Then salvation is assured and promised in Zeph 3:17, 

“The Lord your God is in your midst,
    a mighty one who will save;
he will rejoice over you with gladness;
    he will quiet you by his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing”

The Bishop said, "Here is a wonderful picture of God’s love. Like a mother who sings a lullaby over her troubled child, the Lord comforts us when we are afraid or disturbed. In this metaphor, God is not only singing a lullaby but sings loudly over His children. There is a combination of motherly tenderness as well as fatherly exuberance."

We need not fear the Corona virus, the earth will be healed. God's promise concludes Zephaniah Chapter 3 with

"At that time I will gather you;
at that time I will bring you home.
I will give you honour and praise among all the peoples of the earth
when I restore your fortunes before your very eyes.


How fortunate for us! It is very comforting when God tells us that he will bring us home. This song by David Haas gives the same assurance as Zephaniah did so many centuries ago. It is call "You are Mine". At such times, listen to this song and allow the lyrics and melody to echo in the recesses of your mind.

I will come to you in the silence
I will lift you from all your fear
You will hear My voice, I claim you as My choice
Be still, and know I am near

I am hope for all who are hopeless
I am eyes for all who long to see
In the shadows of the night, I will be your light
Come and rest in Me

I am strength for all the despairing
Healing for the ones who dwell in shame
All the blind will see, the lame will all run free
And all will know My name

I am the Word that leads all to freedom
I am the peace the world cannot give
I will call your name, embracing all your pain
Stand up, now, walk, and live

Do not be afraid, I am with you
I have called you each by name
Come and follow Me
I will bring you home
I love you and you are mine


Lionel


Sunday, 22 March 2020

The Scream

Edvard Munch: The Scream
"Be not anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God" Philippians 4:6

Edvard Munch's painting, 'The Scream' stands out as an icon of modern art. It depicts an anxious and fearful figure letting out a scream. Here is Edvard's commentary on this painting, "I was walking along the road with two friends, the sun went down, I felt a gust of melancholy. Suddenly, the sky turned bloody red. I stopped, leaned against the railing, tired to death as the flaming skies hung like blood and sword over the blue-black fjord and the city. My friends went on. I stood there trembling with anxiety and I felt a vast infinite scream through nature".

Today, the whole world is screaming as the Corona Virus 19 spreads. The COVID-19 virus pandemic started in Dec 2019 and to date it has spread to 173 out of 195 countries. The world tally thus far is 374,822 patients and deaths number 16,379. In Singapore 509 cases have been diagnosed with 2 fatalities. The speed and spread of an infection has not been experienced in recent times and have brought several countries and cities to their knees.

Naturally this caused much panic and anxiety in the world, stock markets plunged threatening a global recession if not a global depression. The enforced stay at home lock-down imposed by many countries and cities threatened many jobs, further aggravating the anxiety

Max Lucado in his book (ref 1) 'Anxious for Nothing' described this panic well, "One day the sky seems sunny and bright and the next, they are dark and foreboding. It is just as if the air has been taken out of your lungs and you are left trying to catch your breath". This describes the symptoms of COVID-19 in severe cases well. These patients have Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome and their lungs are filled with inflammatory fluids and debri; breathing become more and more laboured. They literally choke to death. 

Coincidentally, the Latin root word for Anxiety means to choke or to squeeze; it takes your breath away. Certainly the severe patients of the Corona virus infection must suffer the anxiety as they fight for their lives but many others will be just as anxious.

St. Paul encouraged the Philippians not be anxious but he did not mean never to be anxious. There are circumstances for which panic and anxiety are natural reactions just as during the COVID-19 epidemic. In these situations we can by God's grace turn to Him to help dampen those feelings. Max Lucado paraphrased Phil 4:6 as "Don't let anything in life leave you perpetually in angst and breathless". For a season this pandemic may worry us and keep us anxious but we should not allow these circumstances to overcome us. 

Look to God. He promised to heal our land in 2 Chronicle 7:14

"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land"

Click on blue letters to hear song
Ref 1 Max Lucado, 'Anxious for Nothing; Finding Calm in a Chaotic World' HarperCollins 2019