Over ten years ago, on the Christian music scene, there was a song that really grew big and popular. Even I was listening to it on repeat (I still do every so often!). It’s called “Dare you to move” by Switchfoot. It was made popular also due to a Christian film called “A Walk to Remember”. I remember people had pre-warned me that if I wanted a good cry, this film would do just that… and yep, it did. (side point, I also remember back then Bert made it a big deal and refused to watch it… I’m not sure if he’s still seen it or not? Hmm.) Anyway. Everyone knew the storyline. The main character dies and then the boy repents from his old ways…. (sorry about ruining it for you if you haven’t seen it.)
Death in movies can always move us, the watchers, to tears. There are so many movies out there that feature death. “My Sisters’ Keeper” “50/50” “The Fault in Our Stars” the first scene in “Up” … Death is such an integral part of our lives, you live and then you die. In movies we cry during that movie. The movie finishes, we wipe our tears and go off on our merry way. But yet when we are actually faced with a period of mourning in our lives, it’s not just one crying episode like when you watch a film… it can be so incredibly hard to move on. So very hard.
In the past few months I’ve been to a few funerals. Many people around me have also lost their precious loved ones after a long battle of cancer, old age or just some people taken away so suddenly. It’s been a bit of a dark period to say the least. But I’ve been holding on to the hope in Christ.
And then recently with all the events in the media about Paris, Beirut, Baghdad, Syria (and so many other places going through attacks and wars)… So much tragedy, so much suffering, so many deaths. I’m not going to lie, but it’s getting hard to keep having hope, or is it just me?
But it’s even in the midst of seeing evil on our doorsteps, or tv screens, I know we need to hold fast even more so to the hope we have in Christ. He really and truly is the only answer to this fallen sinful world. Yes, I am praying for God’s kingdom to come, God’s will to be done on earth as it is in Heaven. But while I wait, I am reminded of our church annual theme: “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” Micah 6:8. To keep doing justice, love kindness and walk humbly with our God.
And it’s exactly that. In the midst of confusions from all that media throws at you, and you don’t know who to believe, I know we can believe in one thing, there is power in the name of Jesus, so let us keep praying and turning to God. Doing good and promoting kindness, walking humbly with our God..
I just had a staff meeting with my supervisor (Bert).. and while we were planning for Christmas at the BCEC, I realised something that I need to do, and maybe others too: we should let Christmas not just be for one season of our year, but it should be a lifelong goal, an every day thing. To keep sharing the love and hope we have in Christ. Even during this dark time in society when everyone is suffering. We need Christ’s love poured out even more, through us, a living and walking vessel. Us Christians — mini Christs.
And as Switchfoot sang, “Welcome to the planet, welcome to existence, everyone’s here… everybody’s watching you now, everybody waits for you now, what happens next? I dare you to move…”
People are watching one another. Let us take a stand for our faith, and move forward, walking humbly, loving kindness and doing justly, in Him.