The world may be in a 'mess' – but there is hope
FOOD FOR THOUGHT by Rev Heather Stewart, Parish of Latheron
Over the past week I have been trying to create some order out of chaos! I decided that my study was a “mess” and it was time to get rid of out-of-date documents and get everything back in a semblance of order. It is a work in progress.
Above my desk there is a wooden plaque with the message, “Lord, bless this mess” – it shows how well at least one of my friends knows me.
As I was working I was listening to news bulletins and I thought of how the world is in a “mess” – the crisis in Afghanistan, natural disasters, ongoing outbreaks of Covid-19, assaults... the list is endless. Sometimes we wonder "what’s the point, what can we do?" It’s beyond our control.
So much of life is beyond our control and yet we can all do something. We are all well aware of ways in which we can “clean up” our planet but we also need to clean up our attitudes and behaviour towards other people. Whatever the rights and wrongs of the Afghan crisis in the first place or in the recent withdrawal of troops we all need to “clean up our act” in how we treat others.
Think of the relationships, family or friends, broken through anger or selfishness. Think of the mistrust between differing groups and communities of people who feel threatened because of differences and prejudice. Think of the mess we get ourselves into through all of these things and sometimes we just don’t know what to do or where to turn.
Well, the good news is that Jesus came into our messy world over 2000 years ago to show by His actions and His teaching that God cares about our messy world and our messy lives. In Isaiah 1 v18 we read: “Come, let’s talk this over, says the Lord; no matter how deep the stain of your sins, I can take it out and make you as clean as freshly fallen snow. Even if you are stained as red as crimson, I can make you white as wool!”
Rev Heather Stewart
Parish of Latheron