Summer Hope

There is something very special about spring and early summer. With the wonderful weather we are having at the moment it is almost hard to imagine the snow fall of the previous winter. I always enjoy celebrating Christmas in winter in the northern hemisphere as it is a great to celebrate Christ as the Light of the World in the darkness of winter. Yet as summer approaches, it is also good to reflect on the story of the incarnation as it is told at Christmas time because it reminds us to listen for His coming at all times because it is in listening that we are liberated. As Christian pilgrims we are called to listen to each other with care and to God through Scripture but also to encounter Him in unexpected places. It is a wonderful mystery that we can find Him in quiet, almost unassuming places and yet His Spirit is also a powerful catalyst for change and transformation. Jesus teaches us that we find God and ourselves through humility.

The Christian way of life works in tandem with creation, embraces God’s revelation and interprets it into the surrounding community and to the next generation. So many are searching for truth, yet the truth is with us. The story of a child born thousands of years ago to be the Light of the World shows us that truth of the incarnation is at the centre of God’s plan of salvation for humankind.

So we face the challenge of listening in the midst of all that comes to us in a day, in the midst of the seemingly endless demands.  I believe strongly that the process of learning to listen to God must not be a burden but more of a gradual learning because if it becomes a burden, it defeats the object of seeking to listen in the first place. It is perhaps in the new bright days of spring and summer that we can take a moment to listen for Him in the music of His creation...

Passages for study:

Philippians 2:1-11

James 1:19-25

Colossians 3:12-17

Psalm 85:8-13

Proverbs 8:31-35

Proverbs 18:12-13

Philippians 2:12-18