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| Pembury Baptist Church |
What Would You Do?We’ve all seen them in the street – a homeless person or someone who’s a bit scruffy and tatty looking, shuffling along muttering to themselves or shouting to no one in particular.
I fell victim to one of these people last Friday morning on the way to the station.
This scruffy looking bloke was talking loudly into a mobile phone and following me up the road. He seemed to be making personal and busive comments about everyone around him and then targeted me, so I was somewhat relieved when I had escaped to the sanctuary of the train station.
I had felt rather embarrassed at being singled out, also angry and upset, and was giving myself a pat on the back for ignoring him and not letting him see how I felt or that I had even seen or heard him.
I found a seat on the train and then I started to feel a little guilty. After all, Jesus teaches us that we are all part of his creation, so I should have had more compassion. So I prayed “Lord, let him find peace in his life, care for him and heal him from his troubles, Amen.”
But hang on a minute…..
How exactly is that going to happen?
Is he just going to suddenly have an epithany?
“Actually, what I’m doing isn’t very nice, I think I’ll stop harassing people, clean myself up and get a job. I feel great! It must be because someone is praying for me!”
I don’t think so.
How is he going to find peace?
So what do we do? Do we change our prayers?
“Lord, send someone to help him.”
Or do we get out of our comfy chairs, our comfort zone, step out of the boat and do it ourselves?
Perhaps, and this is the most radical part for me, it is what we need to do before we can receive peace in our lives.
Read Matthew 25:41-46
Maybe our prayers should be:
“Lord, give me the strength, courage and the humility to step out in faith – to bring your love and compassion to the people who society shuns.”
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Tracy Gregory, 10/11/2009 |