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Amongst my daily routines are two that have thrown up startling extremes
of contrast over the last two weeks.
Since a very
minor heart attack, a year ago, I have tried to take a brisk daily walk,
usually keeping to flat areas near to Maybole – namely, beside the sea at
Maidens, Girvan or Ayr. Another daily routine is to watch the TV evening
news – almost as if the world depended on me watching!
Can you imagine the contrast that has struck me? For the last two weeks
in March we had beautifully sunny days and now that my walks have extended
to Culzean Country Park I could not miss the glory of spring flowers and
early blossom. But each evening, as I have turned to the news, it has
been to take in yet more friendly fire incidents and bombing and
the devastation with numbers killed and injured.
Creation and destruction are thrown side by side in appalling contrast.
It has occurred to me that this is the kind of distressing
juxtaposition which God has seen every day through human history since
humanity first sold its soul to evil – since man and woman first
kow-towed to Satan in the Garden of Eden thus abominating the prime
blooms of that most extravagant country park.
But, whereas I feel personally weak and vulnerable before the
world’s evils thrown into God’s face, as a church we seriously pray about
these concerns. Furthermore, we realise that God has already taken the
greatest possible step to redeem a fallen world – a war-torn world – an
impoverished, sick and bitter world.
FOR GOD
SO LOVED THE WORLD
THAT HE
GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON
As it was one
man and one woman who first opened the door to all evil, so each woman and
each man has to accept God’s salvation in Jesus Christ to restore God’s
order to each life and hence to world-wide relationships.
This is what
Easter is all about.
This is why Jesus died on Calvary’s cross.
And His resurrection after three days is the first
phase of restoration.
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