For
God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that
whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
John
3: 16
You have all seen the cartoon of a man wearing a sandwich board on which is written: “Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand”
Of course it is. It always has
been and it always will be. It was here at creation; throughout the
Sojourns of the Hebrews; at the birth of Jesus; and at his death and
resurrection.
During this reflective period
of Lent, we can feel a little closer to God's Kingdom by trying to
understand more clearly what he wants us to do, and by asking that he
give us the strength to do it. We struggle to love more deeply and
without reservation as Jesus taught us; to draw nearer to Him that He
may draw nearer to us.
We have such a perfect example
of love in Jesus' life, dying and resurrection that we need only to
repeat John 3:16, which we all learned as children, to know to what
perfection we are striving in our participation in the realm of God.
Helen Wunch, 1996
If
then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love,
any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy
complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full
accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit,
but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of
you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others.
Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus.
Philippians
2:1-5
Heavenly Father, hear my
prayer that this world's mankind can free itself of greed,
destruction, violence, and cruel inhumanity. Help us to be the
Christian people we profess to be - compassionate, understanding,
tolerant, loving, sharing, and caring. Amen.
Vera
Harkin, 1996
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