Thought for Friday 8 October

Thought for Friday 8 October

2 Corinthians 3:17

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

 

There are different kinds of freedom but the freedom found in Jesus is true freedom. We are free from the slavery of sin, by which we were bound until the death of Jesus on the cross. Praise God for His goodness and mercy!

There is also the freedom we felt at the easing of the lockdown, we could finally ‘meet up’ with friends and family. A curtailed freedom to be sure but better than we had been experiencing and there are still wee pockets of covid 19 breaking out here and there which means loss of freedom again for some.

However, even during lockdown, we had a degree of freedom. We were able to read what we wanted, watch whatever tv show we wanted and worship as we wanted, albeit online. We could do anything as long as it didn’t encourage the spread of the virus.

So many countries did not have these freedoms, in fact they have never had them. Their reading and television is dictated by the government of their  country. Even what they say can get them into trouble with authorities if they are overheard. No wonder they try so hard to find a place in free countries where their lives can be spent free to say what  they want and they are not told what they must think.

I wonder how we would cope in their position. I just cannot imagine lifting my children into a dodgy dinghy to set sail hoping for a better life for them in a safer country. The greatest sadness is that so many of them do not even know the freedom that is in knowing Jesus and they will never know this without the mercy of the countries they arrive at.

Do we have the right to deny people the knowledge of God and His son that they might find when they escape from persecution and oppression? As Christians we have a responsibility to show the love and mercy of God to ALL people, not just to other Christians.

Prayer

Father, thank you for our freedom to worship You without fear of persecution. Help us to realise how restricted Your children are in certain countries. We are free to love You without fear while others risk their lives by worshipping You in secret. Be with them Father. Amen.