Dear Fellow Children of
God,
Did you see news reports or
video footage of the people of Boston singing the National Anthem at the Bruins
hockey game on Tuesday night? I expect all of you have been following the
sad events in Boston. On Patriots Day, after the Red Sox game was
finished, about an hour after the first people finished running the Boston
marathon, in the midst of the celebration of a state holiday, two bombs
exploded killing three and injuring over 170 people. Many people had
limbs amputated because of the bombing. Among those dead was an 8 year
old child. In the midst of a day of public celebration terror reared its
ugly head. Fear gripped the people of the city. A search began for
the perpetrators of the attack. All this happened on Monday.
But on Tuesday the people
of Boston faced the attack and faced their fears and came out in public
again. Almost in defiance, a sellout crowd gathered for the Boston Bruins
hockey game, and something happened I haven’t seen before. When it came
time to sing the national anthem the man who usually sings the anthem was
having trouble with his emotions, so he asked the crowd to join him in
singing. I’ve been to many sporting and public events where the national
anthem is sung in respect at the beginning of the event. But, I have
never seen Americans sing with such gusto or such feeling. I have never
heard Americans sing their national anthem that loudly before.
In watching this singing
of the anthem it seemed that the people of Boston were facing the attacks,
facing their wounds, facing their fear, and facing their weakness to do
anything about the attacks. But, in their weakness the people found the
strength of their shared values of freedom and community. In their
weakness, they found strength.
The truth is that
Christians are not really strong until we are weak. St. Paul shares in 2
Corinthians 12:9-10, “9 But he [The Lord] said to me, "My grace is
sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I
will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may
rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in
insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak,
then I am strong.”
We would like to be strong
in love and righteousness. We would like to be strong in commitment and
character. But we all struggle with our weaknesses that are a result of
our sinful nature. There is only one who did not fail, Jesus. But,
when we struggle, Jesus who faced similar struggles is with us. When we
sin, Jesus offers forgiveness through His death on the cross. When we
face death, Jesus offers eternal life through faith in His rising from the
dead. When we face and know our weakness, Jesus is our strength.
When we face our weakness and trust in Jesus He shines through us. So,
“When we are weak, then we are strong.”
A number of years ago the
Promise Keepers Christian men’s organization had a march in Washington,
D.C. A reporter asked one of the marchers if they were speaking
against the sins of the time. A paraphrase of the answer of a wise man
is, “I am a sinner. I am not speaking against anyone else. I need
help. Jesus is that help I need.”
In a world where we are
weak Jesus is our strength, and we can face anything. I was moved to
tears by the people of Boston. I am more thankful for my Lord, who is my
strength.
A Child of God, Trusting
in Jesus who is My Strength,
Pastor Jonathan
P.S. If you haven’t
seen a video of the anthem, I encourage you to watch it on You Tube! Here
is one sharing of the anthem. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzMsagY7oRs
I’m sure you can find
others.
****
ABOUT ‘THOUGHTS FROM
THE PASTOR’ - I am sending these e-mail messages, hopefully weekly,
to all St. John members and friends whose e-mails I have. (I am always
adding new names of friends and members – in case you are just receiving this
e-mail for the first time.) However, if you don’t want to receive this
e-mail, please let me know, and I’ll gladly leave your name off my list for
this message. . . Or, if you know someone who would like to receive one of
these e-mails, please send me their e-mail address.
****
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