Salvationists Assemble!!!

"There was an idea, Booth knew this, called the Salvation Army Initiative The idea was to bring together a group of remarkable people, see if they could become something more. See if they could work together when we needed them to to fight the battles we never could."

- Nick Fury (outrageously ripped off and paraphrased)

Before we get started I'll admit that this is probably the cheesiest post I've written...but I think it's an important message so I hope you'll stick with me.

The Heroes the world needs:

Maybe you're already humming The Avengers Theme tune ...and hopefully you'll forgive the shamelessly ripped off and plagiarised quote from Nick Fury...but this really was the idea behind the Salvation Army...to be an organisation of heroes, faithful champions who would storm the forts of darkness and fight against hate, injustice, homelessness, social inequality, faithlessness, and hopelessness.

Or to put it in the Army's founder, William Booth's own words, in his famous 'Vision of the Lost':

"Does the surging sea look dark and dangerous? Unquestionably it is so. There is no doubt that the leap for you, as for everyone who takes it, means difficulty and scorn and suffering. For you it may mean more than this. It may mean death. He who 

beckons you from the sea however, knows what it will mean - and knowing, He still 

calls to you and bids to you to come.

You must do it! You cannot hold back. You have enjoyed yourself in Christianity 

long enough. You have had pleasant feelings, pleasant songs, pleasant meetings, 

pleasant prospects. There has been much of human happiness, much clapping of 

hands and shouting of praises - very much of heaven on earth.

Now then, go to God and tell Him you are prepared as much as necessary to turn your 

back upon it all, and that you are willing to spend the rest of your days struggling in 

the midst of these perishing multitudes, whatever it may cost you.

You must do it. With the light that is now broken in upon your mind and the call that 

is now sounding in your ears, and the beckoning hands that are now before your eyes, 

you have no alternative. To go down among the perishing crowds is your duty. Your 

happiness from now on will consist in sharing their misery, your ease in sharing their pain, your crown in helping them to bear their cross, and your heaven in going into the very jaws of hell to rescue them."

Click Here for a shortened but dramatic reading of this vision for the lost and the mission of Salvation Army and wider Church.

What it means to be a Salvationist:

This is what I believe it means to be a Salvationist and of course a Christian from any denomination...we are called to take a stand against injustice, hatred and all the other things I listed above...

Check out this post from the archives about what I believe the role and importance of the Salvation Army Soldier truly is (including Officers, Adherents and members)
No Soldier left behind

The days of sitting back and avoiding conflicts are gone...the world needs us. Just as in William Booth's day, the needs of our fellow man are crying out to us. We must decide how we will respond...right wing hate groups seem to be everywhere as is 'casual' racism, Brexit is dividing communities, terrorism haunts our steps, gun crime seems to be on the rise, and our politicians and leaders appear to be only interested in themselves and not the common good...if we're looking for examples of heroes and champions...they won't be found there....no wonder we seem obsessed with superhero movies at the moment...we seem sadly lacking in real world heroes.

That's where we come in...we are called and empowered to be beacons and lighthouses in the storms of this world, guiding people to God as is the entire Church of course.

But...and this is a big but...you'll never find an active lighthouse in the middle of a field, miles from the ocean... because that's not where they're needed... that's surely what Booth's vision is all about... meeting the needs around us where THEY are, instead of where WE are and where WE are comfortable.

Sometimes being a hero and fighting against all the things that we are called to fight against; means stepping out, being unpopular, leaving our own comfort zones, and taking the fight far behind enemy lines...we spend so much time and energy as a Church trying to attract people into our buildings and events... when really we should be putting this effort into inspiring and encouraging those within our congregations to get out of our buildings and out into the streets where the battlefield really is... otherwise we're just lighthouses in a field, giving light to each other...which for the record is definitely not a bad thing... it's important and necessary to build each other up and be beacons for each other, keeping ourselves on track, on task, on the right path and of course in the light... but that's not where our mission should end!

As C.T. Studd put it:

"Some want to live within the sound

Of church or chapel bell;

I want to run a rescue shop,

Within a yard of hell."

Developing the hero inside:

So my advice and encouragement for those interested, is to build yourselves, strengthen yourselves, trust and believe in God. Do what you need to do to reach your potential... heroes are not built overnight...Iron man spent years perfecting his armour, Captain America spent years building his character, determination and integrity before the super soldier serum gave him his physical powers, Thor had to experience life without his powers to discover who he really was and could become, Hulk had to learn to embrace his powers and potential to become more than a mindless beast... and the list goes on...every hero took time and effort to really reach their full potential and become true heroes.

But of course they didn't then spend their time congratulating each other and resting on their laurels (ok... Tony Stark/Iron man probably spent a while congratulating himself) they got to work, they fought the battles ordinary people couldn't, they stepped out and stepped up...they joined the battle where they were needed and despite sometimes having feelings of inadequacy or fear they didn't let anything stop them being who they had to be and doing what they had to do... the same goes for those early Salvation Army trailblazers...men and women who gave up everything to serve God and man and fight for those around them who cried out for help... and the same goes for us today following in their footsteps...so spend that time and effort to reach your potential, become the hero you need to be; it is time well spent but don't stop there... get to work and be the hero this world needs you to be... and needs us all to be...

The Team:

Of course to do all this, we not only have to build ourselves and trust God...we have to learn to work together and put aside those things that divide us, to be, not just amazing individuals but an amazing team of heroes, like the Avengers...but in our case, joined together, empowered and equipped by God to save our fallen and hurting world...

So without further ado:

Salvationists Assemble!!!




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Press X To Respawn

We all know the feeling; you've been beat down, burnt out, lost your drive, ambition and heart....any casual gamers out there know what to do when this happens to video game characters in the virtual world...'Press X to respawn'...the characters get back up, start again and keep moving forward!

So when we feel like this in the real world, and in our spiritual lives why not use the same principle?

I'm a relatively casual gamer, and if I'm honest, I usually cheat...like the great Captain Kirk once said "I don't believe in a no win scenario" I like to avoid the hard stuff, change the rules when I can and generally never get stuck in to the nitty gritty...but that's no way to live... it's a half life, a wasted life, a life lived too cautiously to really shine...

you've got to get stuck in, give it your all, make no excuses and hold nothing back...and you'll always succeed...wait a minute...scratch that last bit...you won't always succeed...in fact often you'll fail, and be left battered and bruised, unsure of yourself or where you went wrong...that no win scenario, your own personal Kobayashi Maru (if you don't understand that reference congratulations, you're not as big a geek as me) that Captain Kirk didn't believe in, is alive and kicking...but somehow you've got to learn how to kick back!

So how do we kick back?
Well we learn that defeats and disappointments will come, we acknowledge the pain that often comes with them...and we embrace surrender...not surrender to the pain or to our situation but surrender to the one who holds everything in his hands...we accept that we have taken a hit, we even accept that we can't keep going the way we are...we put all our cards on the table, open ourselves to God (however impossibly hard that feels) and we put our trust in the God of restoration, and of second chances. We allow ourselves space to grieve and to feel...but ultimately we get back up again in the strength of God himself.

God is no stranger to respawning and restoration both physically and spiritually...let's take a head count:

The dry bones (Ezekiel 37)
Jonah (book of Jonah)
Lazarus (John 11)
Zacchaeus (Luke 19)
St Peter (John 21)
The nation of Israel (Nehemiah 7)
Add to that many, many others including, of course Christ himself (Luke 24)

Our God has an extensive background in raising people up, people who are down, and feeling useless and just about spent in every way; emotionally, physically and spiritually...but it isn't the end, it is an opportunity to become stronger, to grow and become closer to God by allowing Him to take control and rebuild, refocus, rengerise and of course respawn us...and unlike that great scene in the movie 'ready player one' (if you haven't seen it, it's really worth a watch) you won't lose your experience or skills, you will only become a better and stronger version of yourself...there is always an extra life when you trust in God...

Through setbacks and defeats you will become a better person and a better disciple if you do the hardest thing...get back up and keep moving, keep growing and keep trusting... essentially you're going to level up maybe even evolve to the next level, where the stakes are higher, the rewards are greater, the fall is further...and where you need God more than ever...

And sometimes there is no point to suffering and defeat other than the lessons we choose to take from it and the responses we make...it's easy to stay down, to take the hits and curl up in a ball and never come out... it's takes so much more to get back up and keep going and trusting... all of us who play video games even occasionally will become stuck at a certain point...you need multiple save points, multiple lives, and multiple respawns (I'm looking at you Sonic the hedgehog 2!).... sometimes we give up, sometimes we don't and we eventually succeed... sometimes we get angry and frustrated and use  some unfavorable words (I'm looking at you again Sonic 2!) but until we give up, there is always hope, always a chance to respawn and succeed...if we give up; well, then obviously we are never going to succeed, we will fail and what's worse we will hold onto that failure and defeat, probably for the rest of our lives.

William Booth the founder of the Salvation Army, a man renowned for fire, and vision and passion went through a stage of feeling useless, worthless and defeated before he respawned and found his purpose and mission...he even mentioned it in the now legendary founder's song 'O boundless Salvation'

"Now tossed with temptation, then haunted with fears,
My life has been joyless and useless for years;
I feel something better most surely would be
If once thy pure waters would roll over me."

He went on to recount his respawning:

"The tide is now flowing, I'm touching the wave,
I hear the loud call of the mighty to save;
My faith's growing bolder, delivered I'll be;
I plunge 'neath the waters, they roll over me."

If you've ever felt like all this you're obviously in good company...saints, prophets and leaders...you are not alone...

So look, here's the truth... failing sucks, defeat sucks, it can be heart wrenching, painful and embarrassing, it can feel like your whole world is falling apart... believe me, I've been there...but it isn't the end...it is an opportunity either to wither away or to rise up to your greatest height...the difference between the two? Whether you will put your trust in God and allow him to take control, to stand up when you want to sink down... ultimately whether or not you choose to quit in frustration or...to press X and respawn.





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An Army at War: Part 2 (1939 - 1945)

Here is Part 2 of 'An Army at War' hope you enjoy.
(Here's a link to part 1 '1914-1918' http://inspiredbyfaith88.blogspot.co.uk/2017/02/an-army-at-war-part-1-1914-1918.html?m=1 )

In 1939 The World was once again plunged into war. This time however, The Salvation Army would find itself fighting it's own personal battle for survival. Persecuted, divided and attacked like never before.

The man to guide the Army through this crisis was the 5th General, Australian George Carpenter, who took office on 1st November 1939 as the world and the Salvation Army was dragged into the Second World War.

The worldwide Army was torn apart, as communication with International Headquarters in London became almost impossible, conscription severely diminished it's active adult manpower, evacuation effectively ended children's work in the UK's urban areas, and many older members in the UK took on voluntary service in the Home Guard, Air Raid Precaution Wardens etc. Blackouts, destruction of Corps and other wartime constraints and protective measures devastated what was left of congregations.

On the night of May 10th/11th 1941 tragically, and almost symbolic of the Army's problems; International Headquarters itself was almost totally destroyed in an air raid by German bombers.

The Army in the UK was down but not out, continually on the streets doing what they could to assist emergency services and all those affected by the devastation. This was an Army damaged, hurt and weakened, but still committed to 'Serving Suffering Humanity' wherever and whenever they could.

The Salvation Army in mainland Europe faced an even more direct and imminent threat as the third Reich marched ever onwards and nation after nation fell under Nazi occupation and ongoing devastating conflict, as Europe continued to tear itself apart.

In order to keep this post relatively short here's just a short breakdown of how the Army fared in occupied Europe and the East. Please feel free to join the conversation with stories, context, opinions and any additional information in the comments section.

- Finland was devastated by a long and bitter war against Russia, joined forces with Nazi Germany but ultimately fell to Russian occupation. The Army continued it's work as best it could until early 1942 when the Finnish government officially advised the Army leaders to evacuate.

- Norway and Denmark were occupied in 1940, Army work continued but hampered by buildings being requisitioned for military purposes, curfews, blackouts, arrests and so on.

- Belgium and Holland saw arrests, the suppression of 'the war cry', deportation of Salvationists to Germany for forced labour.

- France was split in two by the capitulation of compiègne in 1940, communication between occupied and unoccupied France was forbidden, serving Salvation Army officers were imprisoned. Major George Flandre was betrayed and shot.

When the rest of France fell, the Salvation Army was effectively disbanded; meetings and uniforms were forbidden, Army properties were seized and sold by the state.

There was some hope though. Monsieur Marc Boegner president of France's Federation of reformed Churches allowed Army meetings to be held in his own Churches and incorporated the Army's social services programmes into their own Churches.

- Estonia, Latvia, Austria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Italy, Germany: all suffered from arrests, buildings being seized, etc
Ironically Germany's Territorial Headquarters was severely damaged in an air raid by allied forces.

- Switzerland remained neutral but did everything it could to support the suffering and displaced, with financial aid and the housing of refugees, even at the cost of severing it's own ties with International Headquarters in London.

- Japan, Singapore, Indonesia, China and Korea all suffered harsh treatment, arrests, subjugation, attacks, formal dissolution and amalgamation into a state run, controlled, monitored and regulated, religious organisation.

A brief word about my home city of Coventry, known today as the city of peace and reconciliation.
On the night of 14th November 1940 the German air force devastated this city including the heartbreaking destruction of our Cathedral and most of the city centre. It has left a permanent scar on our city and identity.

(Here's a link to an old blog post of mine with more information about this event: http://inspiredbyfaith88.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/a-phoenix-from-ashes.html?m=1)

A German newspaper of the time apparently described Coventry as 'the hate filled, victory assured symbol of the absolute destruction of an enemy city'.

Reconciliation of nations, families and our broken Army was vital after the war ended, scars ran deep, pain and suffering had devastated the entire world

How could anything survive what the Salvation Army went through during the Second World War? How could this damaged and broken Army ever march as one?

But by the Grace of God, it did.
It returned, it healed, and it grew.
The words of the worship song 'In Christ Alone' by Stuart Townend springs to mind:

'No power of Hell,
No Scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand.'

The Salvation Army pulled together, in every corner of the world. Relief teams from Britain, America and Sweden flooded Europe, Corps were rebuilt, Flags donated, Salvationist brothers and sisters from around the world lifted each other up in love, kindness and fellowship.
Coventry City Band visited Germany shortly after the War a sign of forgiveness and reconciliation from a city that had every right to hate and despise everything about Germany. This friends, is forgiveness and family. This is what we mean when we talk about 'One Army'

If such darkness and evil can be overcome, then anything can. In these times, when hatred and suspicion seem to be on the rise, take heart in this reconciliation, rebuilding and hope that whatever the future holds, this Army and the God it serves can and will endure.

In this spirit, let me end today's post with Romans 8:38-39

'For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.'






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Preparation and Distraction (Part 4 of 4: Follow your Star)

The star that led the wise men to the stable, leads us all to the cradle...and the Cross...


I took the picture above last year, it's of the Christmas decorations from my home town of Coventry. For those unfamiliar with Coventry's history you may not have heard the tale of Lady Godiva, who is immortalised in the statue you can see in the picture; very briefly the; legend states that back in the 11th century in order to publicly oppose harsh taxation of the poor by her husband Lord Leofric; Godiva gave up her dignity while also shaming Leofric by riding naked on a horse through the city, covered only by her long hair; out of respect the citizens looked away; except for one man who became known as peeping Tom (which is where we get the expression from).

So what is the point of that for us today on this, the last Sunday in Advent?
Well as the 3 wise men or kings or magi (however you wish to name them) followed a star to their destinies, so Godiva followed her heart to her destiny, and as we listen to God and follow His direction through our hearts and the scriptures we too will be led to our destinies and to the place where God wants to use us. (I know the story of the wise men is technically Epiphany, but as we associate it with Christmas I hope you'll indulge me).

That all sounds very nice, but it can actually be rather scary and difficult, although the task of the wise men to worship Christ was actually relatively easy it did require a long difficult journey which would've put them in danger and of course finding themselves in the clutches of the tyrannical king Herod. But it led to them taking the news of Christ back east with them and gave the holy family time to escape the slaughter of the children of Bethlehem by fleeing to Egypt.

God often calls us to difficult challenges and situations; this isn't anything new though, Christ made this clear during His earthly ministry:

'Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.' - Matthew 16:24

'If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.' - John 15:19

The same God that called the wise men to the cradle, called Christ to the Cross. Our first call is to that cradle; to worship and adore Christ above all; to submit to His will and purpose, after that He sends us where He wants not where we want, sometimes that is a call to suffer and sacrifice. We must be prepared to do whatever it is we are called to do. This may not be easy but 'where God guides, He provides'.

So...as Christmas draws near I urge you to 'go, follow that star' in your lives, everyday and Keep your ears and hearts open for God's call and be ready to make that journey, no matter how far...be prepared and don't get distracted on the journey; or as Bilbo Baggins put it:

'It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to.'

Of course, sometimes we have to be open to God stepping in and sweeping us of our feet...


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Is the Church damaged beyond repair?

This post is perhaps a little heavy... But unfortunately we, the Church, the entire Church, in almost all of its expressions, are facing some very serious challenges, particularly traditional western denominations. I have been thinking about this subject for a while and hopefully you'll appreciate my thoughts and opinion on this issue... I would love to hear others opinions on this, it's only by talking about and discovering our faults that we can face them and truly heal.

We are an ancient institution, founded 2000 years ago, as I'm sure we all know, since those early days we have picked up some strange traditions and quirks, divided ourselves into factions and in some cases become bitter enemies. We are fractured and hurting. The church today is so different to it's beginnings...and yet I suppose somehow very much the same..l

We have become social activists, moral guardians and sometimes politicians; of course these can all be great and positive things; which have made us more diverse and effective. But have we, as the secular world would tell us, become irrelevant? Some would say we've passed our prime, that we're showing our age and perhaps it's time to put the old horse down... Not a chance! I say we're here because God ordained that we should be here, perhaps we have lost something of our identity, our place in the world, but don't dismiss that as irrelevancy or uselessness.

We are damaged, there is no getting away from that. we often fail, sometimes through genuine mistakes; sometimes through more sinister and deliberate actions. Sometimes we are stuck in the past; held back by intolerance and prejudice. Whatever it is, and in whichever way we fail, whether that be a large issue or seemingly inconsequential, we still fall short of God's glorious standard. We still risk damaging prospective disciples and, by our actions turn them away from Christ.

The unfortunate truth is that the Church (meaning us as individual Christians) Probably spend just as much time (if not more) fighting amongst ourselves than we do fighting injustice, and intolerance, spreading the gospel, loving and supporting each other. Just take a few moments to visit a Christian forum, Facebook discussion page/thread and you'll see exactly what I mean.

how do we overcome the fears, failures and challenges that currently (and probably always have) plagued the Church? How do we reach the lost without compromising our integrity or mission? How do we minister to a hurting world without diluting the gospel or pandering to societies 'don't ask, don't tell' attitude to religion?
Well I can't really answer that, or come up with some new secret formula or groundbreaking idea...my opinion; if it counts for anything is that our success lies in doing a really hard thing, perhaps too hard...we must learn to LISTEN;
listen to the gospel, to the cries of a world in need, listen and learn from each other and most importantly listen to the heartbeat of God. Then everything else will become clear; maybe some will say that is a nonsense statement or impractical or just words, but I stand by it.

Are we damaged? Have we fallen short, and worse fallen asleep? Do we fail? Are we fractured and wasting time fighting each other? Unfortunately the answer to all those, is yes!

But are we finished? Are we beyond repair? Are we past our best? Should we just give up and disappear into the night?
Never! We believe in a God of second and third chances, a God of redemption, a God of healing and a God who takes the damaged and the broken and the hurting and calls us His friends... but we can no longer afford to stay asleep, or to keep our heads firmly in the sand. 

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Preparation and Distraction (Part 1 of 4): Preparing the Way

In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."
This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: "A voice of one calling in the desert, 'prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.' " Matthew 3:1-3

This is the first of a four part series focusing on the season of Advent as we prepare our hearts and homes to celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus. This first week is about 'preparing the way' I'm intending to publish the other parts on the remaining 3 Sundays in Advent.

I must admit that I love Christmas, the lights, the movies and of course the food... I love the fact that Jesus' name is everywhere, talked about and sung about it's fantastic that often without even realising it people are glorifying Him.

Of course many who do not believe in Christ seek to remove Him from Christmas, to pervert a wonderful time of year...but what upsets me more is when we as Christians somehow through our own busyness and rush to prepare concerts and Christmas fetes etc manage to remove Christ and replace Him with all the trappings of the season. Sometimes our busyness and stress become the cornerstone of this time of year.

Advent is one of the busiest times of the year...there's presents to buy, decorations to put up food to cook, family to invite... The list is endless; some people start getting ready months in advance others like myself are a lot less organised and rush around at the last minute and usually forget most of what I need to do...what should be a time of celebration and togetherness can become a time of stress and arguments, additionally, for millions, Christmas comes and goes and leaves them no richer, no happier and still mired in sorrow, they see a world celebrating while they are left in the cold either literally through homelessness or figuratively through loneliness. I don't say that to make people feel guilty but to help us recognise that in the midst of our joy, there is still darkness and need in our world.

I love the picture above, and I would love to say that's how I prepare for Christmas...Through prayer and meditation; but often it can be an afterthought, but remember, the things that we do and how we do them can sow seeds in others...Will you sow seeds of joy and hope or will you be just another stressed out shopper on the high street fighting over the latest bargain or 'must have' item? Our mission is still to 'prepare the way for the Lord' we cannot save anyone...It is Christ who does that, but by our actions we can show people what it is like to be with Christ; we can plant the seed and give God room to grow and work in their lives.

So to finish, let me ask how will you prepare yourself and your home for Christ and for Christmas? Will you fight, argue and stress over decorations and food and all this inconsequential stuff? Or will you help 'prepare the way for the Lord' by praying for and ministering to those who need Christ even more at this time of year, will you be a stumbling block or a road sign? Finally remember that our hearts and souls are far more precious and important than our homes so however much time we spend decorating our homes, we should spend far more time preparing them.



Look out for part 2....of 'Preparation and Distraction' next Sunday

Rebuilding a world at war... (Nehemiah 2:2,3)

"so the king asked me, "Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart." I was very much afraid,
but I said to the king, "May the king live forever! Why should my face not look sad when the city where my fathers are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?" - Nehemiah 2:2,3

I'm trying not to politicise this blog, but after recent events in Paris, Nigeria and Beirut among others I've felt the need to say something about the things that have happened, the horrors of war and what I think is the appropriate response from Christians when faced with such unbridled and unrestrained hatred and destruction.

Syria and particularly the city of Aleppo currently face a humanitarian nightmare, the city is in danger of complete destruction as it suffers attack from Isis, the Syrian government and western bombing strikes and drone attacks. Destruction not seen since the second world war. I wrote in a previous blog about the destruction of Coventry cathedral during WWII and how it was rebuilt and became a symbol of hope and rebirth; this is all well and good looking back after the reconstruction, but where does that leave us when faced with the destruction? How do we pick ourselves up and carry on?

We pick ourselves up, not because there is a secret formula or magic spell to moving forward, we pick ourselves up because we have to...
We choose to allow hatred and despair to spur us on to further hatred or violence; or we choose hope to spur us on to goodness and grace...but regardless we still must pick ourselves up...

During the clear up of Coventry cathedral after it was destroyed during world war 2, two metal nails were found together in the shape of a cross; this 'cross of nails' has become an international symbol of peace and reconciliation.

Now I am not going to give an opinion on solutions for the current refugee crisis currently facing Europe, but I will say that these people are just that... People, they are not 'animals' or 'cockroaches' as I've heard them called. They are ordinary people fleeing war and chaos, and I will not allow hatred and fear to erase my compassion for my fellow human beings, I accept that not all are innocent and I understand people wanting checks and controls etc but that is another debate for another time and not the purpose of this blog.

Returning to the bible verse, we see the prophet Nehemiah serving as cup bearer to king Artaxerxes, while Israel lies in ruins, Nehemiah feels weak and powerless to do anything about it; this leaves him completely devastated and obviously very sad. This is how I believe the refugees and citizens of Aleppo must be feeling, but this could equally apply to anyone distanced from friends and loved ones, but there is hope...out of the ruins of Coventry cathedral came peace, reconciliation and rebirth, out of 9/11 came unity and now the one world trade centre as a beacon of hope, Jerusalem was rebuilt and restored...there will be an end to hatred and war but the road may be long and full of hardship, but our God is equal to the task, if we trust and hope in Him, we will not be disappointed.

'And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.
He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." Revelations 21:3,4

Please don't forget those in your lives and communities that are struggling... It may be big things like the dispossessed refugees or anything that those around you are struggling with; they need you to be God's hands and hearts in their lives, that is our challenge and our mission; even more so when faced as we are, with the current climate of fear and hatred...






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