PERSPECTIVE, Please help me get it back.


 
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A couple weeks ago, at the request of a friend, Brigitte and I were flown to Van, Turkey. The puropose was to see if there were any practical ways that we could offer support to the victims of the recent earthquakes. Not being much of a traveller myself, I was again faced with a cultural shift that leaves me feeling awkward and offensive. Being a type ‘A’ personality, my first response is to take action. What we came upon was earth shaking.

 

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 I was shaken by a collection of people that were more passionate about life than me. People who value the simplicity of friendship and life. If we, from our western context, lived with their daily struggles, I'm sure many would contemplate suicide. But the adversity was not just from the quake... No, most of the people we met considered that a temporary setback. Being this close to Iran, we were faced with people displaced from many countries, all facing persecution for their faith. Faith in Jesus Christ.

What is mind blowing is that all they would have to do to go home is not say anything about what they believe. Simply hold their faith in their heart, and politely smile and nod at the other religious orders without stirring the pot. In the West, we would call this political correctness.

We are about to celebrate the Christmas season. The time when God incarnate came and moved into a village in the middle east to give his life away and fulfil all the requirements of sacrifice listed in the Abrahamic covenant of the Old Testament. My fear is the passion we once had for Jesus Christ has been replaced with the passion to be first in line at the boxing day sale. I fear that the name of Jesus will not be pronounced on the high street as often as that of father Christmas, or Santa Claus--even by church going families.

Christmas celebrates the gift of new life for all who believe. This year, whether you are knee deep in wrapping paper, or in a tent at -5C with only the clothes on your back, what we need to say is Thank You to the Creater of all life that has given us a second chance....AGAIN.

Perspective...

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