Many people dead and injured by the recent earthquake, prisoners dancing, bright shiny Christmas trees, thousands of families without homes and several abundant Christmas celebrations …
it’s hard to process all these experiences, since all of them are real and part of reality.
Is Matthew 6 (25-34) still relevant, in these confusing times with misery and joy tumble over each other daily?
34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Prisoners love to escape their depressing circumstances even if it is for just a few moments through dancing; There’s nothing wrong in remembering the coming of this Christmas child that brought reconciliation between God and us; Emergency workers are happy when they can throw off the daily troubles for just one festive night; People hit by the earthquake would love to live a normal live again, the sooner the better. However, it feels confusing.
Even though life at the moment is painful, it’s part of that same life. Jesus understood that when he spoke the words from Matthew, and offered us consolation – “do not worry”.
It will take time to get this message back in our system again, to get rid of the discomfort and the worries.
Overwhelming support!
It’s good to know that besides our regular programs, you have given us overwhelming support so Prison Fellowship Albania can help many affected people. This help is for people affected by the earthquake but as always also for the prisoners and children of prisoners and their families.
We just started again with our winterproject for 400 families, 160 children came to our Christmas celebration last Saturday, we celebrated the first Dream Academy graduation of 2 young women with a strong vision for their lives, houses are being finished so families can live again in a decent environment, jobs are created, prisons renovated – so much is still going on. We will not worry about tomorrow, and we will share the message with the people we work with. Until even we ourselves have internalised it again.
In all of this, the message of Matthew 6 is our anchor – Our heavenly Father knows what we need. “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God”. Than we can deal with everything else.
Let it be Christmas.
Merry Christmas
Thank you Fred, what you have written is very thought provoking. When our material possessions are taken away what do we have left? …Life itself.
It’s hard to imagine the situation in Tirana, Durres and beyond, but some people that lost their homes in the recent UK floods have spoken about the value of life itself.
My hopes &prayers are that we all focus on why Jesus came into our troubled world this Christmas time.
Richard.