James
Why was James labelled by his school classmates as a ‘square’, ‘goody-goody-two-shoes’ and ‘teacher’s pet’?
‘I was the good kid—the one who obeyed the rules and did what the teachers asked. Why did I behave like that? Was it because I thought my efforts would earn me rewards? Was I seeking accolades and recognition? Was I trying to make up for something bad I’d done in the past?
Another horror week.
Suicide bombings in Beirut have killed 43 people and left 238 wounded. A suicide bombing at a funeral in Baghdad killed 19 people and left 31 wounded. And coordinated attacks in Paris have killed 129 people and left 352 wounded.
We are appalled, grieved and saddened.
‘Then they will know that I am their Lord’ (Ezekiel 28:26)
One of the clearest ways that we know that God is Lord is when we feel the consequence of his judgement. We are in common company here. Time and time again throughout the Old Testament, both Israel (God’s people) and the foreign nations felt the wrath of God as a consequence of his judgment – and in it realized that the God of Israel was in indeed Lord.
You may not know this. I was born in the USA. I still hold my US passport and defend my heritage although I have lived in Australia since I was 10.
This week I have felt very conflicted and it would not be hard to work out why. The news of the killing of Osama Bin Laden has been greeted with relief, praise and joy. He has been the figurehead of evil in the minds of many for the past decade. For those who have been connected in any way to the terrorist attacks in Nairobi (1998), Yemen (2000), New York (2001), Washington (2001), United Flight 93 (2001), Bali (2002 to 2005), Iraq (2003), Madrid (2004), London (2005) and elsewhere, his death in many ways will allow another stage of healing in the cycle of grief.
There is a strange tension in the way that our world relates to both Easter and Anzac Day
Anzac Day quite rightly asks us to pause and remember the sacrifice of our forefathers who went to battle and in many cases never returned. They fought for the freedoms that we now enjoy and willingly laid down their lives to keep the enemy at bay. It is a good thing that our society protects and honours our Anzacs.
Easter asks us to pause and remember the life, death and resurrection of Jesus who went into battle to deal with our rebellion and returned to confirm that he had achieved what he promised. He died for the forgiveness of our sin, but not just our sin, that of all people – family, friend, neighbour, and even foe.
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