Be strong

 

Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.

Such words of encouragement to Joshua as he took on the mantle of leadership from Moses.

This morning, the Lord impressed on my mind an image of myself behind bars. Behind me was the eye of God.

I, like many others, have been struggling with the situation in my home country. I’ve been surprised at the depth of my grief, the frequency of my tears, the shock of my outrage. I’ve never experienced such a maelstrom of emotions – helpless anger, shame, incredulity, confusion, fear, anxiety. Lord, bring your peace into that cauldron of toxicity. Calm the storm, I pray.

I sense that the Lord is showing me that, due to many factors, I’ve lived all my life assuming the truth of an idolised version of the US which put it pretty close to the Kingdom of God. Raised by very patriotic US Marines, who were great parents who I loved dearly, it’s hard to watch the façade drop away from so many facets of a nation which we believed always wore the ‘white hat’. It’s shocking to watch their imagined reality, which I inherited, die, as the administration embraces greed, selfishness, injustice, ignorance and cruelty: ugliness of every kind.

As hard as I’m finding this, Lord, I offer to you the hope that the nation’s motto, ‘In God we trust’, might finally become true as I – as we – learn that it is only in you that our trust is secure.

May I pray with greater insight, fervor and longing: ‘Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done.’

Jesus came to set the captives free – even those captivated by a mistaken dream. Humbly, I come to you, Jesus. Set me free today, I pray.

Secure in tradition

 

I am preparing for my conversational French hour this afternoon, so have been brushing up on all words Easter-related. We are going to share our family traditions, en francais, of course.

That has taken me down a very pleasant memory lane, one strewn with the odd Easter bunny (very odd…), Easter bonnets, dresses, hot cross buns and chocolate egg hunts. I’m also reflecting on the rhythm of Holy Week, the rhythm which kept us in step with the Lord Jesus’ walk to the cross and then the joy of resurrection day.

Here in Banchory, there is also a rhythm to Holy Week, starting with a Wednesday morning service remembering Jesus’ words from the cross, then a Maundy Thursday late afternoon service followed by picnic supper arranged by the young people, a 7 am Good Friday walk through Banchory with the cross, again reflecting on Jesus’ last words. Easter morning starts at 9 by the River Dee, with a service again led by the young people, and finally the traditional joyful gathering in church at 10.30. He is risen indeed!

Traditions are important, instilling in children a pattern by which to comprehend life. As adults, it is so good to settle into the familiar, with the touches of new life brought by a younger generation: all drawing our eyes to the love and life and death and resurrection of our Saviour.

Jesus himself loved tradition. There is something in the repetitive cycle of remembering God’s gracious goodness to us which gives us security, faith and hope in the ever-changing global and local landscapes.

He is risen. He is risen indeed!