“NO POWER TO COMFORT A TROUBLED HEART” - CROSS PURPOSES 127

“NO POWER TO COMFORT A TROUBLED HEART”

Hi Guys,

Recently we spent a week of annual vacation at Surfers Paradise. Every time we are there we go walking along the walkway behind the beach. Just south of Surfers there is a little monument – better, memorial stone – and each time I’m there I spend a few moments sitting on the bench in front of it. It’s simple, it’s dignified…and very sad.

The memorial stone has been placed there to remember all those who have lost their lives to drugs, and all those who have been affected by the loss of such a loved one.

On the stone there is a little saying:
DRUGS GAVE YOU WINGS, THEN THEY TOOK AWAY YOUR SKY.

And just below it a simple sentence:
WORDS HAVE NO POWER TO COMFORT A TROUBLED HEART.

I always find that saying about drugs profound; “Drugs gave you wings, then they took away your sky”. And then each time I weep a little bit inside for the conviction that a troubled heart cannot be comforted. What on earth, or in heaven, can it be like to have a belief or a world-view such that no word can ever bring comfort?

Christians are often ignorant and can behave badly but the followers of Jesus Christ do know a bit about comfort. Some examples:

“Comfort, comfort my people” says the Lord. IS:40
“The word become flesh and lived among us” (pitched his tent in the middle of our mess) John 1:14
“God loved the world so much he gave his only Son” John 3:16
“I will not leave you desolate…” John 14:18
“The Comforter (the Holy Spirit) will come” John 15:26
“Nothing can separate us from God’s love in Jesus Christ” Romans 8:39

Easy words. Easily spoken words. Welcomed by one with faith. Nevertheless, I have to remember that for those facing mindless tragedy, lives out of control, meaningless death and bitter experience, it usually feels like no comfort is available.

Certainly we are almost always left with ‘not understanding’ – either the circumstances, or God’s place in it. Offering easy comfort in those circumstances can be a source of infuriating exasperation or simply desolating.

So where is the comfort? That God knows and is near. Felt? Rarely! Known in the Spirit? Yes! Because we know the one who entered into our skin, and our sin, we also know the Shepherd is here and his sheep hear his voice. And he gives permission to rage, to scream at the pain, to question from the broken depths. And in his arms we can weep. And be comforted.

Fred

DA POPE’S COMIN’ – HE MUCKED EVERYTHING UP! - CROSS PURPOSES 126

DA POPE’S COMIN’ – HE MUCKED EVERYTHING UP!

Hi Guys,

Well, World Youth Day is finished although there are still thousands of WYD Orange backpacks to be seen in Sydney.

One wag in the press here described the pilgrims as the Psalmy Army (as distinct from the Barmy Army). Was amazing to hear guitars/drums and singing of “God songs” in any street, at any time, for the whole week.

Thought I’d tell you about my encounter with the Newsagent. Early Saturday morning I went to buy the paper – and the agent looked so sad. Asked him how it’s been and he said “Da Pope’s comin’ – he mucked it all up!” Translation: business took a real dive while his holiness was in town. The pilgrims weren’t covering for his usual custom and customers.

I think the pope’s coming did muck up a few things.

1. Too much going on in town so we at St Pauls met in the 4 ‘house churches’ instead.

2. Certainly some businesses did miss out. The pilgrims, who took all accommodation for miles in any direction, weren’t necessarily rich. Nor was shopping their foremost agenda.

3. Another group missed out badly. The pubs and nightclubs. Oxford St is around the corner from where we live. It’s home to dozens of Nightclubs and lots of Hotels. To walk along it early Saturday morning or Sunday morning is to be confronted by hosts of young people pouring out onto the street from all night binge-drinking, dancing and partying, all mixed with Ice or whatever the latest concoction is. Many can’t stand on their own two feet, and must be supported by equally ‘out of it’ friends. The gutters become emergency seating, and the vomit is there for all to see and smell, and step in if you are unlucky.

But not last weekend. On both Saturday and Sunday mornings it was quiet, clean and safe. The usual sense of darkness hanging over the street was gone. The NORM got mucked up. And it wasn’t the Pope. It was the Spirit of Jesus Christ himself who effected that change!

See, the real agenda of World Youth Day wasn’t the Pope – it was the Lordship of Jesus Christ and the preaching of the Gospel, coupled with the call to worship and sacrifice. And a community operating under that agenda and spirit – well, things change.

To quote 67 year old Merle Pollack (SMH 21/7/08)
“there was something there in the energy…JUST THE QUIETNESS OF THE PEOPLE AND THE WONDERFUL CLEANLINESS OF EVERYTHING.”

I’ve returned to that thought many times in the last 36 hours…THE WONDERFUL CLEANLINESS OF EVERYTHING… I think she hit on deep truth! Day in day out we live in this world. The powers and structures that support it, which demand our attention and truth daily – well, they pollute us and defile us. We are confronted and put upon by their perversions and diversions. They ask for, indeed demand, our worship. We feel contaminated! We long to be clean and free.

And? YOU ARE ALREADY MADE CLEAN BY THE WORDS I HAVE SPOKEN TO YOU. So speaks Jesus of Nazareth. John 15:3. His best speaking – his best word – is Calvary. The gift of a clean heart flows out in a clean life.

Praise his name!

Fred

WORLD YOUTH DAY - CROSS PURPOSES 125

World Youth Day

Hi Guys,

Fred here…cynical old Fred. Thought I’d tell you a couple of things from my experience of World Youth Day (WYD).

1. The city is not snagged up – it’s beautiful and quiet – and a joy to walk among groups of youngsters from 170 or so nations, all singing and dancing about their faith in Jesus Christ. Hyde Park across the road is the focus of a lot of activity.

2. Before WYD one of our kids found a backpack full of clothing, obviously stolen, in our back lane. I rang the owner (ID in pack) and he came to collect it – wearing a WYD volunteer cap. Got talking. He’s from Brisbane and helping out. Said all he wanted to do for the rest of his life was proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord! We celebrated! And he gave me his volunteer cap.

3. Walked past a couple of guys yesterday. As I passed, one of them said “Hi Sydney”. Stopped to talk with them. From Poland. One says to me, “I from Poland, World Youth Day, to honour Lord Jesus Christ”. My spirit rejoiced again. Told them I was a Pastor of the Lutheran Church – which they rejoiced about. They invited me to the Papal Mass.

Thing is, this emphasis on Jesus Christ, and his commission and empowering, dominates this event. Yes there’s stuff I struggle with but I’m praying that there’s lots of proclaimers of Jesus Christ and his Gospel coming out of this.

One other thing – met only one person I’ve known in my life up to now among all those pilgrims – and that’s Archbishop Francis Carroll, whose altar boy I was for many years in Wagga. He’s a lover of Jesus’ Christ too.

Be Blessed

Fred

DISREMEMBERED, MISREMEMBERED, NOT REMEMBERED, CROSS PURPOSES 124

DISREMEMBERED, MISREMEMBERED, NOT REMEMBERED

Hi Guys,

Recently here in Sydney we’ve had an enquiry into dodgy dealings at Rail Corp, which runs NSW trains. On a number of occasions, reported by the Evening News, Rail Corp staff were being asked about this circumstance, or that situation, and giving the response “I don’t remember”. Later, after they were forced to listen to and view secret recordings of their illicit dealings, most immediately change their evidence to “I remember now….”

Happens often does it not? Time and time again witnesses before Royal Commissions and other investigations say “I can’t remember,” in answer to a question concerning their dealings or what they knew. Eg “What happened to the Bond money?” Gets that way that we don’t know we can trust what is said by anyone. (We’re like that too? Hmm? Hmm?)

Not long ago Hilary Clinton claimed in an interview that she had had to be rushed off an aircraft, practically under fire (somewhere in Iraq I think.) Later, News Media ran footage of Mrs Clinton relaxedly walking off the plane. Confronted by this footage Mrs Clinton said she had ‘MISREMEMBERED’. Don’t you just love that? A delightful new word to sidestep responsibility. Never admit you lied!

Not long ago I read the story by Edward Dyson called “The two funerals of Malachi Mooney”. It’s a great Australian short story – well worth a read – and close to it’s end ‘Flynn’ claims to have ‘DISREMIMBERED IVIRYTHING’ – another ingenious use of language – to cover a whopping mistake.

Man, can we ever fiddle with words – or rather can we ever fiddle with the truth! How unreliable and deceitful we can be! Our God has a word for us on this theme. He is looking at us through the lens of Jesus’ Cross. He knows what we are like. He knows the truth about us. Nothing is hidden from him. And he says – “to faith” - I WILL REMEMBER THEIR SINS NO MORE” (Hebrews 8:12).
“I will not forget you” (Isaiah 49:15) but “I will remember your sins no more.” Done and dusted. Rejoice! Celebrate! Live!

Bless you

Fred