Lest we forget
7/7/2005.
I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing that day, as clearly as I remember watching the events of 9/11 unfold on a TV screen in front of my eyes, or waking up to the news that Princess Diana had died...and other, more personal, events in between.
Of course, this week has seen the anniversary of the London bombs. I watched the BBC coverage in the morning and an interview with a London Ambulance Service paramedic. He said, “We saw the best and the worst of humanity on that day”.
His words reminded me of another day, the events of which are recorded in the Bible, where we saw the worst of humanity. The day when Jesus was beaten, mocked, disowned and crucified (Mark 15, for example).
But the worst bit wasn't necessarily the way Jesus was treated physically – but that this was a manifestation of the people's rejection of God. And the worst bit of 7/7, or 9/11, or the holocaust, or murder is not necessarily that we destroy each other – but that we do this because we have rejected God. Humanity at its worst gets to that point because of its rejection of its Creator, its rejection of Truth, its rejection of Love, and its rejection of the best it can be. Our worst is sin.
When we say we see the 'best' of humanity, what do we mean? That we see people being willing to care for each other, sacrificing themselves in another's place, putting themselves in danger to save another?
Isn't that what we see in Jesus? And isn't that the ultimate? The best in our humanity is a shadow. The reality is God. We can to some extent display the best that He has placed in us. But we need to recognise that it is not of ourselves. We love because He first loved us.And we need to be displaying God's best. We need to be walking in line with His Word and demonstrating His love to those around us.
Let's not forget the events of history. And let's certainly not forget what Jesus did on the cross, and everything that it means, everything that it achieved. And let's not forget that our best can only come from Him.
I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing that day, as clearly as I remember watching the events of 9/11 unfold on a TV screen in front of my eyes, or waking up to the news that Princess Diana had died...and other, more personal, events in between.
Of course, this week has seen the anniversary of the London bombs. I watched the BBC coverage in the morning and an interview with a London Ambulance Service paramedic. He said, “We saw the best and the worst of humanity on that day”.
His words reminded me of another day, the events of which are recorded in the Bible, where we saw the worst of humanity. The day when Jesus was beaten, mocked, disowned and crucified (Mark 15, for example).
But the worst bit wasn't necessarily the way Jesus was treated physically – but that this was a manifestation of the people's rejection of God. And the worst bit of 7/7, or 9/11, or the holocaust, or murder is not necessarily that we destroy each other – but that we do this because we have rejected God. Humanity at its worst gets to that point because of its rejection of its Creator, its rejection of Truth, its rejection of Love, and its rejection of the best it can be. Our worst is sin.
When we say we see the 'best' of humanity, what do we mean? That we see people being willing to care for each other, sacrificing themselves in another's place, putting themselves in danger to save another?
Isn't that what we see in Jesus? And isn't that the ultimate? The best in our humanity is a shadow. The reality is God. We can to some extent display the best that He has placed in us. But we need to recognise that it is not of ourselves. We love because He first loved us.And we need to be displaying God's best. We need to be walking in line with His Word and demonstrating His love to those around us.
Let's not forget the events of history. And let's certainly not forget what Jesus did on the cross, and everything that it means, everything that it achieved. And let's not forget that our best can only come from Him.
posted by Welshie at 7:45 PM
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