Some days the news seems just too depressing. Yesterday there were rising covid numbers, the drug-related death of drummer Taylor Hawkins, continuing horrors in Ukraine:
I read: ‘Ukraine pushed back against Vladimir Putin yesterday as it is claimed that 16.600 Russian soldiers have been killed, with Moscow suffering £10billion of losses…’
Another article: ‘Up to 40,000 Ukrainians have been snatched from besieged cities and forced into Russian slave labour…’
I come to my Bible reading this morning for encouragement, a joyful alternative, light in the darkness… On Sunday Abi talked about Jesus being like a mother hen gathering chicks under her wings… I wouldn’t mind musing on that…
…It’s Absalom’s uprising against his father David… The civil war ends with a bloody battle. 20,000 die; Absalom’s stabbed to death; David’s weeping, mourning the loss of his son; Israel’s in chaos.
It resonates with life today but isn’t much comfort.
Musing… Otto B Kraus writes about the horrors of life in Auschwitz in ‘The Children’s Block’… Alex Ehren has found love with Lisa Pomnenka. Their final words with each other:
‘I’ll always remember,’ he said, ‘wherever we might be.’
‘You won’t,’ she shook her head ‘– because we live what is and not what was or will be.’
Is this all there is? Just making the most of today?
Musing… Pamela Brown-Peterside tells her story in ‘African Pearl’. … Leaving her stable US career in HIV research she joins Scott and Jennifer, a couple committed to their community work in rural Uganda.
Pamela’s just arrived in Uganda. Scott explains the community health programme that they run, the school that their mission has opened… ‘We have a lot of different things going on, but our main goal is to love Ugandans well.’
Musing… Returning to Abi’s reminder of Jesus, the mother hen, protecting, nurturing, providing… as his follower I should follow his caring example… and follow his instructions… loving God and my neighbour. ‘Loving well’ seems a good ‘main goal’ for today.
malcolmsmusings.org 