Tag Archives: Refugees

Kindle Your Light in Us

lightLiving in the Spirit
November 13, 2014

Scripture Reading: 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11

Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers and sisters, you do not need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. When they say, ‘There is peace and security’, then sudden destruction will come upon them, as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and there will be no escape! But you, beloved, are not in darkness, for that day to surprise you like a thief; for you are all children of light and children of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness.— 1 Thessalonians 5:1-4

I do not feel too much like a child of light this morning. The world is too much with me. I guess it started when I flip on the local news yesterday evening and found a blow by blow description of a hostage take over by a former soldier at a local law office. It all ended peacefully without any physical injury, I am sure the jury is still out on emotional and mental ramifications. I don’t get why people like to watch that detailed reporting but it made me wonder, if we who live in the USA really realize that too much of the rest of the world live the reality of hostage taking and other such chaos several times a day every day. There are over 10.4 million people living as refugees in our world.* Yesterday the news celebrated the release of the only Ebola victim that remained in a hospital in the USA, making us Ebola free at least for a time. As of November 7, 2014, there were 13,241 cases in the three African nations most affected by Ebola with 4,950 deaths**.

Please understand our light needs to shine on every wounded warrior who has returned to the USA from war and every person in the USA who suffers from disease and we are not doing enough to address either. I guess my discontent comes from our motivations for addressing such issues. Our motivation has a whole lot more to do with self-protection and self-preservation than being a light.

In point of fact, our investing in the research necessary to bring about healing of bodies, minds, and souls is often a gift to the whole world as is the research of other countries. We might though be in need of an attitude adjustment opening our hearts to our neighbors around the world and sharing our light with generosity and love just as they share their lights from the darkest of places tending to the sick, the hungry, the homeless in the best way that they can.

Prayer: Kindle a flame of love
             Here in my heart, O Lord.
             Set all my soul ablaze
             With love and joy.
             Reaching to all in need,
             Pour out Your love through me.
            Kindle a life that burns for You.***Amen.

*http://www.unhcr.org/pages/49c3646c1d.html
**http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/outbreaks/2014-west-africa/case-counts.html
***Words by Ken Bible, inspired by a Celtic blessing Music by Ken Bible © 2005 by LNWhymns.com

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Curing the Sick

Living in the Spirit
August 2, 2014

 Scripture Reading: Matthew 14:13-21 

Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a deserted place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. When he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them and cured their sick. —Matthew 14:13-14

Because we get so caught up in the story in our scripture today regarding the feeding the masses, we may miss this excerpt about curing the sick. Jesus was a healer. While most of us could recite a list of nuisance health related complaints from sinusitis to headaches to backaches and some are dealing with more serious life impacting and limiting illnesses, we often overlook the healing of our souls. It is interesting that even science is more and more linking our physical ailments to both our mental and spiritual health. I just read in the paper yesterday that people who give of themselves live longer, more productive lives. Perhaps this whole scripture is about healing.

Yesterday, the news showed a woman protesting the care of Central American children at the Fort Sill Army Base. She did not want her tax dollars wasted in such a manner. Some in our Congressional delegations are fearful that the continued use of Fort Sill as an interim place to house these refugees might lessen its ability to train soldiers. It is my understanding the facility was selected because the dorms being used were vacant. The Oklahoma Governor is demanding that the federal government keep its projection of only using the facility for 120 days. I wondered, if our political leaders have thought what might happen to Fort Sill, if we really stopped fighting wars. The dorms are empty for a reason. Could we actually be nearing a point when we will be beating our weapons into plowshares? What would the closure of such facilities do to the economy of our state? And what better use of these facilities could we make than protecting children from the ravages of the world?

People of faith have been ministering to refugees all over the world for years. Many of the countries surrounding the fleeing people have limited resources themselves. I take great satisfaction in knowing that my country, using my tax dollars, are providing the basics of life: food, clothing, shelter, and medical care for these children and youth. People of faith are also there for them, but so is our country. People of faith are still in harm’s way in the homelands of these children working to make their country safer and more self-sustaining but in the meantime we can at the very least see that these children survive.

Prayer: Heal our souls, so fill us with your love that we cannot help but love our neighbor. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.