Submitted by Jan on Tue, 18/07/2017 – 09:26
Proper 11 (16) Seventh Sunday after Pentecost
Year A (2016-2017)
Bible Book: Genesis
Chapter: 28
Verse: 10 – 19
In Genesis 28: 15 Remember I will be with you and protect you wherever you go ….. I will not leave you until I have done all that I have promised you.
My attention is drawn to ‘Remember’. We are humans and we forget easily, God feels the need to remind us of God’s promises which are stated over and over again in God’s word.
As the gospel says in Matthew, in the world we have both good and evil people. God allows that these two should live together but in the end God separates them. This is because God knows us, understands us, see our every thought and knows what we will say before we can even say it, as we told in Psalms 139. In Wisdom of Solomon 12:18, God is the merciful judge who rules us with great patience and gives us a chance to repent from our evil ways and accept that God alone is God.
This year, in my county in Kenya, I have seen more people die from HIV related illnesses. Stigma is once again on the increase. Where have we gone wrong? What have we forgotten that we need to be reminded? Remember the spirit of God still lives in the sick. Why do we judge so harshly, while Godself is merciful? I met several of those patients and most had chosen death over life. At what point is it okay for people in our societies to choose to die rather than live?
I recently saw a joke that was doing the rounds on the net; ‘A man was dying from cancer, but kept telling people he is dying of AIDS. When asked why by his son, he replied, `so that when am dead no one will sleep with your mum’. This sounds very wrong at so many levels, but it’s become a joke. We have forgotten how far we have travelled to reduce stigma, that we now justifying it.
Where is the love for self and others? Love enough to surpass the darkness. Enough kindness and mercy that helps people choose life over death.
I hope we can all sing Psalms 86
11. Teach me, Lord, what you want me to do, and I will obey you faithfully; teach me to serve you with complete devotion. 13. How great is your constant love for me! You have saved me from the grave itself. 15. You O Lord, are a merciful and loving God, always patient, always kind and faithful. We can add, I want to follow in your steps Lord.
God reminds us and gives us hope that God will not leave us until God has completed what God intended with us. Let us give the same hope to those who are in the darkness due to different circumstances in their lives. So they may also enjoy the promises of God. Remember…. this is why we are called to be channels of hope.
To Think About:
What have we forgotten or overlooked in our work with people living with HIV?
Does God consider me as part of God’s kingdom `the good seed’?
Written By:
Ann Mary Gathigia, CEO Mkono Wa Upendo Centre, Kenya. Trained Churches, Channel of Hope Facilitator.
Author: Gathigia A M (Ms)
Language: English