"And he said, 'O man greatly loved, fear not,
peace be with you; be strong and of good courage.' And as he spoke to
me, I was strengthened and said, 'Let my lord speak, for you have
strengthened me.'" (Daniel 10:19 ESV)
I was in town today walking back from the bank
when I passed by a tanning shop. Emblazoned full size in the window,
were a picture of a man and a woman smiling in their beachwear
displaying their bronzed skin for all to see. The message being conveyed
was: If only you had a skin and body like this you can be enjoying life
and be in relationship with someone bronzed and fit too.
For some of us who have been around a while
that train of thought of being toned in body and having bronzed skin has
now left the station. We will never return to the sartorial days of our
youth where thought of sagging and wrinkled skin were a mere
afterthought, a distant speck on the horizon, rather than a daily rebuff
from a glance in the mirror.
It made me ponder upon how this modern culture
is all about becoming something we are not, enticing us away from being
happy for who we already are, in our own skin. In this particular
advert’s case its appeal was of having a desirable body and in being no
longer alone: if only we get ourselves tanned enough. I dread to think
what carcinomas are being activated in the process, but that is another
thought.
What my pondering became aware of was that as
we get older, we may become socially disconnected, potentially less
desirable to our own minds, fearful of looking at ourselves in the
mirror, or being gazed upon by others.
Here in Cheltenham we are a prosperous town.
Contrarily there is national recognition for having some of the most
deprived areas and needy people in the UK. We have people begging on the
streets sitting cheek by jowl, ignored, invisible alongside windows of
designer goods.
Yes, there are some Christian charities that
help ameliorate the day-to-day hand-to-mouth existence feeding some who
have become out of favour, dysfunctional or dispossessed. Invisible to
the system, feared as dangerous, and an issue, but recognised by these
few workers as in dire poverty; there is a collective societal
disconnect.
Through Jesus, no matter where we are, what
condition, alone, messed up or what we look like, God loves us and
reaches out to us, body, mind and spirit to bring us to a place of
acceptance, peace and love. Daniel is an example, a man loved by God who
was recognised and listened to, purely because he set his heart to talk
to God and intercede.
Through Jesus, no matter where we are, what
condition, God’s acceptance, peace and love can reach out to us and
through us too, if we have a mind to allow it.
PRAYER: LORD, thank you for all that You have
done for us. Forgive us that we often take it all for granted, as you
deliver us once more from the grip of sin and failure, for which we are
thankful and truly sorry. Please lift us up and come into our hearts to
show us how to pray and where You have more work to do. Then empower us
to be a part of Your Kingdom’s hands and feet to those you send us to,
in Jesus’ name, amen.
Rod Marshall
The Illustrator: This daily newsletter is dedicated to encouraging
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The Nugget: Published three times a week, this newsletter features inspirational devotionals and mini-sermons dedicated to drawing mankind closer to each other and to Christ.