Wednesday 23 February 2011

Tumbling like a house of cards

A little over a week since the Egyptian people overthrew an unjust regime, a similar story unfolds on the streets of Libya. As I type this the world is unsure as to exactly what is going on and what is happening. There are rumours of defections, alliances falling and security force crackdowns.

At one point on the night of 21st February, a rumour that Colonel Gaddafi had fled the country led to crowds celebrating in the streets. But then his son appeared on state television, offering to talk to the protestors and warning of civil war.

Meanwhile there is still unrest in the kingdom of Bahrain. Once again the people want reform and are unhappy with the way the country is being ruled. After an initial military crackdown protestors are once again making their voices heard.

And these two countries are not the only ones in the Middle East that are having civil unrest. Yemen, Algeria and even Iran are all experiencing varying degrees of protest.

In WordLive this week we hear about Jesus’ compassion for those who are the outcasts and least in their society, and how these people respond to Jesus. As we look at events in the world, how should we respond?

Do we ask for a peaceful resolution? Of course! But should we also be calling for the oppressed to be set free and the widow, orphan and poor to be treated justly?

Prayer is not our only option.

Darren

Tuesday 15 February 2011

Love is all around?

This week started with Valentine’s Day, so there may be a theme running through this piece…
One of the long-running stories in recent weeks came to an initial conclusion. On the whole, a peaceful revolution in Egypt took place when President Hosni Mubarak resigned. Love had been shown by many of the protestors and one of the most endearing images was one that highlighted the love between Christians and Muslims.

Back in the UK, the Prime Minister was defending his plans for the Big Society, where local people take care of local issues. It’s a ‘share the love’ idea where people care about others in their communities and make those communities a better place.

He was defending it because its detractors feel a lack of funds will stop it from being viable. I wonder if a bigger problem could be the general lack of love between people in society. Are we more concerned about ourselves than others?

And that brings us to this week’s WordLive. Later this week Jesus challenges his society to love their enemies. In a week when love is all around, what better message could there be?

Darren

Tuesday 8 February 2011

Actions have consequences

The news is still dominated by the events in Egypt with the call from the protestors for the President to go. The government is trying to make a deal with the demonstrators and bring some stability to the country. But the demonstrators are wary of what is being offered.

In the strange world of sport we have Formula 1 driver Robert Kubica fighting for his career, and the use of his arm, after crashing a rally car. Meanwhile in football the current Premier League leaders Manchester Utd, the team on an unbeaten run lasting 29 games, finally lost… to the team currently bottom of the league – Wolves.

In WordLive we see that the great King David can mess things up big time. And one man’s ‘indiscretion’ ends up affecting a multitude of others. Whether it is in government and politics, or sport, or any other activity we take part in, individual actions can have big consequences.

How do you decide what to do?

Darren