Greed – Look, See, Pray

I’m trying to teach myself the skill of seeing the signs of light and life in an unsettled world.

My photo is of bamboo- which can be VERY destructive if it gets its roots deep enough- and my eye was fixated by the one highlighted strip. The intensity of the light overexposed this strip: the camera couldn’t handle the contrast, so all the colour has bleached out leaving stems and leaves a silvery white. If you look closely, you can see some of these parts glow as they reflect glare which made the lens “flare.”

Bamboo, certainly many of the common varieties, can grow with extraordinary speed. Several inches in a day. Stems and shoots can force through soil, rock, or concrete: it can ruin the foundations of a building, or grow up through solid floors. At which point, it’s too late even to panic!

Bad governance, sometimes careless and sometimes evil, grows like bamboo. Ambition, greed and a lust for power afflict many of those who rise to prominence via wealth or political manipulation. It seems to me this process is clearly at work in the “great super-powers” and in many autocratic states.

Such darkness is not inevitable. The Berlin Wall was brought crashing down by people demanding liberty: Poland and the Czech/Slovak people shone a bright light of hope.

Putin will, one day, die. So will Trump. So will we all. Some of those deaths will make the world a better place for their passing! But ONE death makes the Light shine through Resurrection. Jesus, who was crucified by the “Establishment” of religion and Empire, inaugurated a new Kingdom of hope, of Love, grace, compassion, mercy, and justice: raised from death, Jesus reigns as Lord of all lords and will one day be acknowledged by all. Commoners, lords and ladies, rich and poor…

So if you see darkness growing in leaders, nations, and societies that do not show the values of the Kingdom of Jesus, don’t despair. Their day will pass. The Day of Jesus will never pass away. We see this Light in the actions of love and kindness, of bravery and boldness for the good, and in the transformed lives of those who are becoming like Jesus day by day. The light glows brighter against gathering darkness- and the darkness neither understands nor can overcome the Light of the World.

Please pray for leaders: not in blind approval of their actions, but that they be accountable to both God and the people they rule. Pray for any “outburst of light” you see, pray that Christ brings His Light into every dark place.

The Early Church often greeted each other with “Maranatha” which means “Come, O Lord.” It’s a word in need of more use…

Revelation 22:20 (NLT): “He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming soon!’ Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!”.

Greedy or grateful? I’ve been editing some photos from the garden when we first put out some feeders.

This one makes me chuckle- the poor parent, looking worn out and scruffy, confronted by a very dapper fledgling in smart new plumage. The lunge and the recoil…

Is the adult saying “What’s the magic word? Cheep ‘please’ or you go hungry!”

OR perhaps it’s mealworms with menaces… “Look, you feeble old tit, hand over the dinner OR ELSE! I’ll put you in an aviary!”

Naturally, this musing is simply proof of my own decline into old age. I’m imagining things. At least my imagination still works. I can finally say I qualify for OAP discounts – and I have my Bus Pass to prove it.

If you will work with my whimsy, these birds could pose a question worth a little time. The choice of “greedy or grateful” cuts both ways. The parent could keep all the food and neglect Junior. Junior could grab everything available… or be grateful for the parent’s care. The young are often thoughtless and demanding, focussed on the need to grow and become strong- survival instinct, if you like. Parents shift to a different survival mode- ensuring the species continues, at the cost of their own comfort.

We can go further: what about God’s provision for us? Are we grateful? Do we remember that He took OUR survival seriously, and sent Jesus to embrace life and death for our benefit?

A final thought: assuming “gratitude” holds a place in our hearts, today is a very good day to remember and bless all those who have been parents/guardians, guides, tutors, providers and educators. Looking back over 66 years there are a HOST of people who have helped and encouraged me: and I’m grateful. There are also some I have been able to help, and it’s been a privilege beyond words.

God who watches over even the sparrows (& blue tits!) is watching over us today… and giving freely of love and grace. May we all be blessed in discovering and remembering such a love as this!