Perspective

Places where I know no-one remain deserts in my heart. Maybe not so much deserts, as blank canvases. I don’t dislike them, but neither do I give them much thought. They are shapes on a map – uninhabited by anyone I love or know.

But as my family shifts around the world – as friends and fellow-believers move into countries previously unknown to me – my inner being sits up and takes notice, and I begin to pray for that place.

So it is that I find myself praying for Jamaica today, as Robbie heads off there on a mission trip. I am excited to hear stories of transformed lives, of healings, of new awakenings and deliverances. I’ve had my heart awakened to such a wide variety of places through the trips my kids have taken and the places they have lived – Guatemala, Nicaragua, Mexico, Cuba, The Gambia, Tanzania, India, the Philippines, Sierra Leone, Rwanda, Australia, France, Greece, the USA. 

Then, as I read of people persecuted for their faith, my perspective widens further. I begin to care for the people of Pakistan, Iran, Syria, Libya, Vietnam, China, Colombia ... the list is longer than it should be and growing. One wonders if one day some of our western countries will be added to that ignominious list of countries where religious freedom is curtailed.

Jesus knows someone in every corner of the world. Not just one or two people: he knows every individual. The good, the bad and the ugly. He created them, he loves them, he died for them. There are no blanks on his vision of the world. His perspective is truly global, and totally minute. 

He loves every single individual, and cares about what is going on in every life. He is there for you and me, right now, wherever you are as you read this. 

How can anyone not be grateful, and overwhelmed by his selfless love?