If you carry the weight of the world upon your shoulders, I know my brother that He will carry you.

"Endure hardship as discipline. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on however if produces a harvest of righteousness and peace..." Heb 12:7 and 11

For some of us, life has become tough. We hope to find the true meaning and contentment for our Christian lives and yet in the living of it some suffer pain, some are struck with illnesses and handicaps; others are laden with emotional burdens. 

Life has become a burden for the whole world as we grapple with the Covid-19 pandemic of 2020. Many countries are now in a lockdown mode. All of us are supposed to stay at home, some enforced by law. Today for the first time ever, we will not celebrate Easter with a church worship service, we will do so by virtual meetings using the Internet.

We can only imagine the untold suffering and grief of those who have lost loved ones, lost jobs, lost businesses and lost hopes. It is not easy to bear this pain, this cross, this discipline. We know that the Christian experience can be a life of strenuous pilgrimage of endurance and perseverance and yet we ask, where and when will this journey end. There are no easy answers. Only God knows. 

We marvel at the fortitude of St Clare who stated “Ever since I have known the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, no suffering has been bothersome, no penance too severe, no infirmity has been hard.” But most of us cannot claim to possess such strength. 

Let us take some comfort in a prayer by St. Augustine

“God of our life, these are days when the burden we carry chafe our shoulders and weigh us down; when the road seems dreary and endless, the skies are grey and threatening; when our lives have no music in them, and our hearts are lonely, and our souls have lost their courage.

Flood the path with light, run our eyes to where the skies are full of promise; tune our hearts to brave music, give us the sense of comradeship with heroes and saints of every age; and so quicken our spirits that we may be able encourage the souls of all who journey with us on the road of life, to Your honour and glory.”

This past week was the Holy Week, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter. We were banned from meeting together in church worship because of the complete shutdown from all human contact in an effort to stop the spread of the virus. We missed the physical furnishings, furniture and familiarity of our local churches. However, using IT and Internet facilitation we were united in spirit if not by physical contact. Although stripped bare of these physical props, it did not prevent the presence of Christ to reach everyone of us.

From Perth, Pastor Benny Ho encouraged us with 3 simple messages:
1. Crisis helps us to return to the basics, it drives us to God
2. Crisis helps us to rearrange our priorities such as our relationships and spending more time in prayer
3. Crisis helps us to review leadership, those that offer solutions rather than lamentations

Jesus Christ offers solutions. He does not set us on the long and winding road alone. He is with us and Christ is risen indeed! In Matthew 11:28 to 30 Jesus said to all who are on this long road, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened,and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

We do not need to unburden ourselves to come to Jesus. 'Gentle and humble in heart' characterises Jesus. This is who He is, tender, open, welcoming, accommodating, understanding, willing. If you carry the weight of the world upon your shoulders, I know my brother that He will carry you.


Lionel

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

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

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