Day 18~ Saving/Broken/Shattered

Matthew 8:29

“What do you want with us, Son of God?” they shouted.

 “Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?”

A reporter on the ground in Aleppo posted a video message on the internet. He was uncertain if this would be his last communication. They were promised ceasefire and evacuation this morning yet it seemed neither would happen. He felt certain that torture was in his future. He knew not if they would be tortured for hours or days or if death would be waiting at the end. 

The spirit of the people of Aleppo is broken and shattered. They have nothing left... no food, no water, no one they can trust. Surely if the Son of God himself arrived on the streets of Aleppo, they'd ask "Have you come to torture us?" Isn't this all they are good for now, an example to others in the travesty of war? What more could anyone else possibly want with them when they have nothing left?

The people of Aleppo have been heavy on my mind so I suspect that is why I see them in every passage. We need to do something, even from this far away, that says we aren't here to torture.

Dear brothers and sisters of Aleppo,

We see you.

We hear you.

Your lives are worth saving.

We can't all show up wearing white helmets to dig through the rubble but there are boots on the ground doing exactly this. Please consider supporting The White Helmets as they work to rescue Syrians regardless of what side they have taken in this civil war. Americans who claim "all lives matter" could learn from this organization.

Also consider supporting organizations that work to welcome refugees with open arms. Refugees are not enemies to be feared. They are being forced from their homes, forced to leave behind everything they know and love, all on the off chance that they may get to live to see tomorrow. We should be inviting them into our country, our states, our cities, our churches, and our very own homes.

Day 17 ~ Comfort/Conspire

Jude 20-21

But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 

keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.

Day 16 ~ Welcome/Visceral

Psalm 42:3-4

My tears have been my food

    day and night,

while people say to me all day long,

    “Where is your God?”

These things I remember

    as I pour out my soul:

how I used to go to the house of God

    under the protection of the Mighty One[a]

with shouts of joy and praise

    among the festive throng.

My tears have been my food...

I've been avoiding the news to avoid hearing more about what awaits us in January. In doing so, I've been completely out of touch with world affairs, specifically in Aleppo.

Upon reading the latest news out of Syria, visceral is the only way to explain my reaction. How can we as human beings sit back and allow this to happen? We are watching it unfold in real time through the tweets of children and the cries of their mothers. A whole city of people will no longer exist. Women are committing suicide to avoid their inevitable rape and murder at the hands of soldiers battling to control what is left of this historic city.

Where is your God?

Welcome to Aleppo.

A friend informed me that Coptic Christians are walking the streets of Aleppo reciting the Nicene Creed. May we all add this to our daily prayers in solidarity.

We believe in one God,

the Father, the Almighty,

maker of heaven and earth,

of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,

the only Son of God,

eternally begotten of the Father,

God from God, Light from Light,

true God from true God,

begotten, not made,

of one Being with the Father.

Through him all things were made.

For us and for our salvation

he came down from heaven:

by the power of the Holy Spirit

he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary,

and was made man.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;

he suffered death and was buried.

On the third day he rose again

in accordance with the Scriptures;

he ascended into heaven

and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,

and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,

who proceeds from the Father and the Son.

With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.

He has spoken through the Prophets.

We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.

We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.

We look for the resurrection of the dead,

and the life of the world to come. Amen.

These things I remember as I pour out my soul...

Day 15 ~ Joy/Hope(less)

Matthew 11:3

"Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?"

Day 14 ~ Hospitality/This/The

Matthew 3:10

The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

Day 13 ~ Family/(Dis)comfort

2 Peter 3:11-13

Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? 

You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. 

That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. 

But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, 

where righteousness dwells.

(Dis)comfort.

I live in constant, paralyzing, anxiety at the thought of my own discomfort.

I dis people who could possibly bring me comfort because I worry that our differing values systems will cause me great discomfort. I feel old. I feel like a prude. Sometimes I feel like a parent when I should be a friend. Sometimes I feel like the one that has to be the wet blanket on choices that could lead to undesirable outcomes.

Shouldn't we live holy lives?

(Dis)comfort.

It causes me to stay inside, to reject invitations, to sacrifice friendships all so I can avoid discomfort.

This isn't limited to social groups. I do this to family too.

 Change brings discomfort. Celebrating our first Christmas without our matriarch is already bringing too much discomfort. What do you mean we are changing locations and doing things completely different? My desire to keep comfort when there has been too much change instead brings alienation. 

We all deal with our discomfort in our own way. 

Yet, I cannot bring myself to step out of my shell and dis comfort to take a chance.

Day 12 ~ Homeless/At(one)ment

2 Peter 3:9

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. 

Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, 

but everyone to come to repentance.

Content coming.... I fell behind and I am playing catchup.

I'm OCD for chronology so I need the placeholder.