The Lake Angel! (?)
CROSS PURPOSES # 102
24 October 2007
Few in Australia will have been untouched by the tragedy of a little 2 year old boy named Dean whose body was found, in a suitcase, in a pond at Ambervale – South West Sydney this week.
My instinct is that the ‘tragedy’ is not only about the death of Dean and the shocking disposal of his body. It embraces, also his parents, grandparents, wider family and the children and community where his body was found.
There is just one aspect of this I want to place before you. The SMH (October 24 2007) has a headline on page 5 “AMID GRIEF, FAMILY FLOATS A TRIBUTE TO LAKE ANGEL”. Inside the article there’s a note to say that Western Sydney residents are calling for donations to establish a ‘Lake Angel’ trust fund to honour Dean with a plaque by the pond.
Why did it catch my eye? Just a week or so ago there was an item in the local rag about a much loved mother who had died – and her two daughters spoke of her as “an angel watching over them from the nearest bright star”.
That theme, of declaring someone to have become some sort of guardian angel upon death has become frequent in a time of angelic spirituality. Especially so with babies and toddlers. It seems obvious that the death of a loved one often drives those left behind to think of the future of the departed one in a ‘good’ spiritual way! It must surely comfort people.
Nevertheless it troubles me – especially so when it is a christian or a christian family that that speaks this way. Why? Consider the two verses from scripture below:
“What are angels then? They are spirits who serve God and are sent by him to help those who are to receive salvation”. Hebrews 1: 14 (GNB)
“God’s Spirit joins himself to our spirits to declare that we are God’s children. Since we are his children, we will possess the blessings he keeps for his people, and we will also possess with Christ what God has kept for him…” Romans 8: 16-17 (GNB)
My issue? Simply this: God declares those who put their trust in his Son as Saviour and Lord to be his children! We don’t become angels – we already are children who share the inheritance! The Lord has all the angels he needs – and they exist to serve him and us.
Let’s not rob those who die in faith of the dignity and joy of their high status!
Be Blessed. Jesus is Lord – and he’s the big brother of all who trust the God of Calvary and Resurrection.
Pastor Fred
24 October 2007
Few in Australia will have been untouched by the tragedy of a little 2 year old boy named Dean whose body was found, in a suitcase, in a pond at Ambervale – South West Sydney this week.
My instinct is that the ‘tragedy’ is not only about the death of Dean and the shocking disposal of his body. It embraces, also his parents, grandparents, wider family and the children and community where his body was found.
There is just one aspect of this I want to place before you. The SMH (October 24 2007) has a headline on page 5 “AMID GRIEF, FAMILY FLOATS A TRIBUTE TO LAKE ANGEL”. Inside the article there’s a note to say that Western Sydney residents are calling for donations to establish a ‘Lake Angel’ trust fund to honour Dean with a plaque by the pond.
Why did it catch my eye? Just a week or so ago there was an item in the local rag about a much loved mother who had died – and her two daughters spoke of her as “an angel watching over them from the nearest bright star”.
That theme, of declaring someone to have become some sort of guardian angel upon death has become frequent in a time of angelic spirituality. Especially so with babies and toddlers. It seems obvious that the death of a loved one often drives those left behind to think of the future of the departed one in a ‘good’ spiritual way! It must surely comfort people.
Nevertheless it troubles me – especially so when it is a christian or a christian family that that speaks this way. Why? Consider the two verses from scripture below:
“What are angels then? They are spirits who serve God and are sent by him to help those who are to receive salvation”. Hebrews 1: 14 (GNB)
“God’s Spirit joins himself to our spirits to declare that we are God’s children. Since we are his children, we will possess the blessings he keeps for his people, and we will also possess with Christ what God has kept for him…” Romans 8: 16-17 (GNB)
My issue? Simply this: God declares those who put their trust in his Son as Saviour and Lord to be his children! We don’t become angels – we already are children who share the inheritance! The Lord has all the angels he needs – and they exist to serve him and us.
Let’s not rob those who die in faith of the dignity and joy of their high status!
Be Blessed. Jesus is Lord – and he’s the big brother of all who trust the God of Calvary and Resurrection.
Pastor Fred
Labels: heart sounds
posted by PastorFredVeerhuis at 1:48 PM
1 Comments:
G'day Fred,
Great blog as usual... I read every week!
Today at a Bible study we spent some time on Colossians 2:18 - worship of angels (or excessive focus on them) disconnects us from Christ. I don't want to be an angel... I want to shine like a star and conform to the likeness of Christ... this is what we were chosen and predestined in Christ for!
Matt Thiele.
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