Jesus

Known Only to Him

Posted on September 21, 2011 by Pieter Stok

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?

We fear the unknown. I remember when I purchased my first computer, an Apple 2C, for wordprocessing in 1984. One ministerial colleague told me that the Holy Spirit only worked through a pen. Socrates, I believe, feared writing, as he saw it as a threat to learning and memory.

Today we have much more to fear. The future races upon us daily with an amazing rapidity. Pundits tell us that many of the jobs our young people will have in the future,  haven’t been invented yet.

Matt 6:25 ff. reminds us where our trust should lie – whatever happens in the future. Or in the words of the hymn, “Known Only to Him” written by Stuart Hamblen and sung by Elvis, we hear the line:

I know not what the future holds
But I know who holds the future

This is the core of Matt 6:25ff. The Christian knows that the future is in God’s hands and not that of the scientist, politician or media star. There is no excuse for passivity or complacency here. We still need to be Kingdom workers. There is however, every reason for joy and comfort, knowing who holds the future.

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Two Images – One Story

Posted on September 13, 2011 by Pieter Stok

On a cold but sunny December day in 2005 I stood in the old ruined Cathedral in Coventry, UK.

I have two photos taken that day; one in the ruins of the old  Cathedral and another outside the new. In their contrast and contradiction, they tell one unified story.

The first, is the altar in the old bombed out Cathedral. On the 14th of November 1940 the Luftwaffe blitzed Coventry. One of the victims was its 800 year old Cathedral. Today, where the altar once stood, is a plaque that simply says, “Father Forgive”. Above this is a simple wooden cross made from charred beams which survived the conflagration. In front of this stands a board with a simple Litany of Reconciliation, the refrain to which is, “Father Forgive”, as well as a small bunch of flowers.

The other image is on the outside wall of the new Cathedral consecrated in 1962. It is of St Michael’s victory over Satan by Jacob Epstein. This dramatic sculpture represents St. Michael (meaning “who is like God”) a Biblical figure.  We see references in Daniel 10:13,21 and possibly Joshua 5:13-15, Jude and Revelation. In Scripture St. Michael is presented as a protector of God’s people.

The obvious question is, where was St. Michael on the night the Cathedral was bombed? There is an irony in these two images.

The answer lies at the altar of the old cathedral. The cross revealing Christ’s sacrifice for all God’s people – both the bomber and the bombed. This is reinforced with the words, “Father Forgive”. Brokenness lies at the heart of all of us. It is not the exclusive domain of a culture or nation. George Bush’s “axis of evil” comment in 2002, forgets that evil or sin isn’t exclusive. It encompasses us all. It is a curse from which we all need to be relieved.

That a cultured country such as Germany could blitz Britain or a civilised community such as the UK be complicit in the razing of Dresden is a reminder that evil is not far off. We see it in Abu Ghraib, in Libya and in our own hearts.

Yes, God does protect His people. For all those who come to faith in Christ there is protection. Not just for a moment or a life time – but eternity. There is a payment for our brokenness and a reconciliation with God.

What sign should we look for that this truth is also ours. I think one sign must be our ability to say, like our Saviour, “Father Forgive”.

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Prayer for Generosity St. Ignatius of Loyola

Posted on September 12, 2011 by Pieter Stok
Eternal Word, only begotten Son of God,
Teach me true generosity.
Teach me to serve you as you deserve.
To give without counting the cost,
To fight heedless of wounds,
To labour without seeking rest,
To sacrifice myself without thought of any reward
Save the knowledge that I have done your will.
Amen.

In John 13 we read the story of Jesus washing the feet of his disciples. I find that confronting. Not the act itself. I have had careers in toilet cleaning and garbage collecting, so a bit of tinea doesn’t bother me. No, it is the subservience, the humility that sticks in my throat. I don’t have a “natural” gift of service. It galls me.

Yet, this is what Jesus calls for and it is what St. Ignatius echoes.

The striking aspect of St. Ignatius’ poem is that it reminds us that our selfless, sacrificial service is a sign that we are growing in our reflection of Jesus. Once again, this challenges me, as it is not the way I want to live.

What should I do? This gracelessness in my life is a reminder that I still have so far to go in understanding Christ’s sacrifice for me, no matter how well I think I know my Bible. The more I understand and apprehend the cost of my salvation, eternal life and membership of His Kingdom, the more I will bow the knee in humble thankfulness.

To give without counting the cost,
To fight heedless of wounds,
To labour without seeking rest,

All these acts require a decision of the will, not simply a response of the emotions. Each act is one that I need to practise and practise again. If you, like I, do not find these actions come naturally our challenge is to actively seek to serve and labour. However, we must always remember that this is a response to, not a cause for, our salvation. In the words of St Ignatius it is what Jesus “deserves”.

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