“A SIGN OF PEACE”
Thus saith the Lord of hosts; There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and every man with his staff in his hand for very age. [5] And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof. Zechariah 8:4-5
This morning I listened to a news item involving South Sudan, the world’s newest country. As many will know there is humanitarian crisis there on a gigantic proportion. Yemen, Somalia, parts of Nigeria and parts of Kenya are also experiencing a similar crisis.
There are many causes: civil war, drought, corruption, bad leadership and terrorism to name but a few. The news item covered the usual things: how bad it is, responses from the United Nations, responses from the national government and the aid agencies. The report, mercifully short, for it was difficult to listen to, ended with children singing in the streets and the broadcaster saying it will get worse before it gets better. I then went to pray saying to myself how reporters when reporting on crises always feature in their report children singing or playing even in the midst of the very worst crisis. Then I recalled the scripture in Zechariah.
We all take joy in children playing or simply having fun in the streets. It’s a metaphor for peace and normalcy but it’s also a tangible proof that things are good. Children can be poor and lacking in many things but to see and hear them sing and play in the streets is what we all want. This line of thought opened in me a line of prayer that produced this blog.
It’s been a while since my last blog but I am pleased that my first after such a long break is on this subject. Children the world over don’t need things to be happy what they need is love and a safe place to grow up. They are not the cause of their suffering nor are they in a position to solve the crisis but sadly they are always the first and last victims. As you read this blog, please join me and pray that children the world over can sing, play and have fun in the streets. In the West the problem is violence, street gangs, paedophiles and terrorism. In the poorer parts of our world it’s: poverty, exploitation, civil war and hunger. Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace.
Our platform is the world and our congregation the people.
The Lord’s servant
Lloyd Denny