Many voices these days are saying: "There's so much going on in the world today, so many disasters, wars, crisis, persecution!"
My natural tendency is to try to put things in perspective and say that the world has always known crisis - it wasn't that pleasant in the Middle Ages or in Roman times, when Christians were thrown to the lions and there were public crucifixions.
As from today, I'd like to stop doing that, because it's time everyone noticed that the world is burning! Just as it's high time to scooch over to make room for those who are suffering.
My natural tendency is to try to put things in perspective and say that the world has always known crisis - it wasn't that pleasant in the Middle Ages or in Roman times, when Christians were thrown to the lions and there were public crucifixions.
As from today, I'd like to stop doing that, because it's time everyone noticed that the world is burning! Just as it's high time to scooch over to make room for those who are suffering.
A short word-study on the slang "to scooch"
I learnt from a blogster called Janine Huldie that "scooch" may be short for the Italian word "Scocciatore" which means "a pain in the neck". It seems Europe has regarded the stream of refugees as "Scocciatore" and tried to ignore the problems. Can we keep that up with all the media bringing us news of crisis every day? Or will we shift focus to the other meaning of the word? Will you make room in the seat next to yours to welcome a refugee?Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers,
for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. (Heb. 13:2, NIV)
Watching gladiators
In Roman times the rich would go to the theater to watch gladiators kill each other. Horrible and sadistic entertainment! But the passive masses watching the suffering on the news are perhaps larger today. Will we let what we see really move us? The photo of a 3-year-old's body on a Turkish beach brings a shock-wave to social media. It reminded me of my little nephew and as I read comments on social media I'm guessing most of you know a tiny boy like that personally. And so the gladiators we watch from a great distance, become real humans we know and love from up close.
Can you hold that emotion long enough to get about doing something and to start giving? And if you don't know where to start yet, can you at least be gentle to every stranger you come across?
Can you hold that emotion long enough to get about doing something and to start giving? And if you don't know where to start yet, can you at least be gentle to every stranger you come across?
