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Executive Principal's Message - Week 9, Term 1
Each time I read through the Old Testament I am reminded just how brutal life must have been. The shear volume of battles and wars that were fought, the primitive way they were carried out and the immense amount of death and suffering that resulted can be confronting. If you are not sure what I am talking about, perhaps read the book of Joshua.
As confronting as reading all of these accounts can be, it is equally confronting to turn on the news at the moment and see how much suffering, death and heartache many around the world are experiencing. Whilst it is true that these battles are fought with very different warfare to what we read in the Old Testament, the pain and consequence of such violent actions would be very much the same.
Any study of history, even at a modest level, highlights that conflict, battles, and war are recurring themes in human experience. The first recorded children were Cain and Abel and the Bible notes that, in his anger, Cain killed Abel. Sadly, it has been in our human nature from the outset to deal with matters in a violent manner.
Working through what is an appropriate response to our current context can be challenging. Whilst I am confident that we worship a sovereign God who knows all that is occurring now, I cannot help but lament on the impact of such events. May I suggest a couple of approaches that may be helpful. We certainly do need to be praying for our world, for those who are suffering, and for the decision makers who are influencing such conflict. At the same time, I think it is also good to be prayerfully thankful for the blessings we have that can be easy to take for granted. We don’t have bombs landing on our homes, our food and water supplies are not under threat, and we have access to good medical care. For me the biggest inconvenience I have at the moment in relation to these matters is that I am paying more for fuel. I was embarrassed and ashamed when I realised that I have very little to be complaining about from a global perspective if paying a bit more at the bowser is upsetting.
In some ways, Colossians 4:2 sums up this thinking: "Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful." Being watchful of the things of this world can help us be intentional with our prayers and at the same time, we can be thankful for the blessings we experience that many others don’t. Let's keep praying for our world, it certainly appears to need it.
God bless,
