More than 70 years ago another meeting took place between the leaders of these same two countries, Hitler and Mussolini, about how to destroy Europe. We have come a long way and, despite a lot of frustration and cynicism, we can see progress in the search for world peace.
There is a saying In Mark’s gospel which Matthew did not like. Mark says Jesus ‘couldnot’ work a miracle in his home town of Nazareth because of their ‘lack of faith’ (Mark 6:1-6). Matthew thought Mark too blunt and changed ‘could not’ to ‘did not’ (Matt 13:58). But the ‘lack of faith’ remains. Jesus is unable to work where he is not welcome.
Europe and Africa, and no doubt other places, are slowly learning to welcome Jesus even if they don’t put it in this way. Jesus came with a message of justice and peace and people everywhere are gradually developing their thirst for it.
There are countless examples of this, but one can suffice. I saw an old photo recently of a family being evicted by police and soldiers from their home in Ireland around 1864. It could never happen today. It reminded me of our own evictions in Zimbabwe in 2004. Hopefully they also can never happen again.
The more we welcome Jesus the more he can do with us. I have been moved a great deal recently by a book on the Cistercian monks of Tibhirine, Algeria, who were killed by guerrillas in 1996. Christian de Chergé, their leader, longed to build bridges with Muslims and indeed a bond grew between the small Christian community and the Muslim village nearby. When the tension grew and violence was everywhere – something similar to our experience in the war of liberation in the 1970s – the monks found themselves drawn to risk their own lives rather than desert their Muslim brothers and sisters. In the end they paid the ultimate price.
What they did was walk the whole way with Jesus to Calvary. Each day they longed for an end to the uncertainty and a return to normality. And each day they knew that they simply had to be faithful to the people they livedamongst and stay put. It can be a risky business welcoming Jesus!
You never know where it will lead. He persevered to the end and those who welcome him are invited to do the same no matter what the cost.
Post published in: Opinions & Analysis