Tag Prince of Peace

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem this Remembrance Season

Stephen Thorp Leave a comment

It has been heartbreaking listening to the BBC news stories coming out of Israel in recent days. Stories like that of twenty-two year old Neta Portal telling the news reporter how, despite being shot in the leg six times, she had survived with her boyfriend the terrible massacre carried out by Hamas on the Israeli kibbutz at Kfar Aza – or seeing Mariam, a young British Palestinian girl, expressing her fears of dying as she clutches her British passport in the hope that the Rafah gate might be opened, granting her safe passage into Egypt. These stories remind us that in times of conflict it is always the innocent who suffer.

Let’s be clear, what Hamas did was barbaric and Israel has every right to defend itself – and yet we pray and hope that they will have a higher regard for civilians than the terrorists. The Israeli / Palestinian conflict is complicated, but the truth is that ever since the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, Israel has made a number of concessions, offers and overtures to its Palestinian neighbours which would create a Palestinian state (even voluntarily giving up its worship upon the Temple Mount) all of which have ultimately been rejected by the Palestinian leadership, leading to the current unsatisfactory situation. And yet relations in the wider Middle East have been improving and things were looking better than they had been for years – all of which has now been blown away by the recent attack by Hamas, sponsored by Iran.

The irony is that the word ‘Jerusalem’ means ‘foundation of peace’ incorporating the Arab word for peace ‘salam’ as in ‘As-salamu alaykum’ meaning ‘peace be upon you’  and this is akin to the Hebrew word ‘shalom’ also meaning ‘peace’, ‘tranquillity’ and ‘wholeness’, but it’s not just a simple sort of peace but a deeply rich sort of peace that belongs to God himself. So, in a city and a part of the world which has such a high regard for peace, it’s incredibly sad that there is so much anger, hostility and hatred.

The Christian will be aware that the prophet Isaiah predicted a time when ‘every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood would be destined for burning and used as fuel for the fire’ (Isaiah 9.5) because ultimately God’s messiah would arrive and put things right, and he would be called ‘Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace (‘sar shalom’)’ (Isaiah 9.6), and that person is of course Jesus who, after his death and resurrection, met his frightened disciples in a locked room and said ‘peace be with you’ (John 20.19).

So as we approach Remembrance Sunday, let us be grateful for the peace that we currently enjoy, made possible by those who sacrificed so much to look after and protect us in past years, but may we also be wise enough to pray for Jerusalem and the peace of the world, trusting that God’s wisdom, and the loving, peaceful spirit of Christ, might touch all our hearts.

 

6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! 8 For my brothers and companions’ sake I will say, “Peace be within you!” Psalm 122.6 (ESV)

When war is looming, it’s essential that we act with wisdom, integrity & prayer!

Stephen Thorp Leave a comment

As I write this letter, the West is becoming increasingly alarmed by the number of Russian troops gathering on the borders of Ukraine. President Putin has repeatedly said that Russia has no intention of invading Ukraine, and his government has repeatedly accused the West of ‘histrionics’. In fact, hopes raised by President Putin’s recent statement that the Kremlin has authorised a partial withdrawal of its forces were quickly dashed by NATO’s chief, Jens Stoltenberg who insisted that satellite imagery showed no evidence of such a withdrawal, in fact, strategically, quite the reverse. This was swiftly followed by Liz Truss our own foreign secretary urging the West at a press conference in Kyiv, to ‘wise up’ in its dealings with Russia.

She no doubt has a point – when war is looming, and peoples’ lives are at stake it is beholden upon all of our national leaders to act with prudence, wisdom and caution. Concerns that Russian information might be misleading or that their tacticians might be engineering a so called ‘false flag’ provocation to justify a military invasion of Ukraine are as shocking as they are deceitful. This is why the West must ensure that it acts with wisdom and integrity, powerfully speaking to those who threaten harm, and with care to those who are in harm’s way. Every nation has the right to defend itself, but the engagement of warfare should always be a last resort.

The Christian will be aware that although Jesus commanded his disciples ‘to love your neighbour as yourself’ (Matthew 19.19), he also commanded them to ‘love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you’ (Matthew 5.44). This is not a soppy, sentimental, ‘wishy-washy’ sort of love, but a love that allows the individual to keep a clear head and a clear perspective, not allowing oneself to descend into a mindless anger or hatred. Let’s pray that our national leaders will continue to act with as much tact and diplomacy as they can muster to encourage peace and deter the minds of those who might be tempted to go to war out of greed and evil self-interest.    

    “Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” Romans 12.17-21

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Since writing this initial post, Russia has invaded Ukraine, we therefore continue to pray for the people of Ukraine, and trust that they will not only be able to endure this ordeal with integrity and courage, but that the Western nations will do all that they can to ease their suffering, confront aggression and promote peace.

Christmas lights, Candle Arches, Comfort and Joy

Stephen Thorp Leave a comment

This year, Christmas is going to look and feel very different to others. Although the vast majority of us will no doubt do our best to enjoy the festivities (especially now that university students will be able to return home), for some it will be a sad and painful experience as they contemplate Christmas without loved ones who have sadly died during the year because of the coronavirus or other associated issues. Which is why the Church of England’s Christmas campaign ‘Comfort and Joy’ is so aptly named, because although the title comes from the traditional Christmas carol ‘God rest ye merry gentlemen’, its essence is to be found in the Bible which speaks of a God who so loved the world that he was prepared to step into it, in the person of Jesus Christ. The baby born at Bethlehem was therefore God’s one true light, ‘the light of the world’ (John 8.12) who shines not only into the darkness of our world, but also our hearts and minds, and brings us life – life in all its fulness (John 10.10). This comes as no real surprise to the believer because as John so wonderfully reminds us in his Gospel, ‘in him was life and that life was the light of men’ (John 1.4). The nativity story therefore reminds us that however dark the world might be, God still loves and cares for us. It is this knowledge that the Bible describes as good news and which provides us with so much ‘comfort, hope and joy’ as we celebrate the fact that in Christ, God is with us.

The ancient Jew also believed that God was with them, for deep within the Temple there was the menorah, a golden lamp with seven branches which burned oil from evening to morning. Although several of the outer branches were allowed to burn out, the central branch was always kept alight as a symbol of God’s presence.

I know that many people like to celebrate Christmas by decorating their houses with Christmas lights and decorations, but in this most particular, peculiar and stressful of years, I would like to encourage as many people as possible to place a ‘candle arch’ in their windows, as a little act of prayer and blessing for their neighbours, families and friends, to remind us all that although this Christmas period may be different – the meaning of Christmas is still the same – that God is with us.

May I take this opportunity on behalf of my family and the parishes I represent, to wish you all a very Happy Christmas (full of comfort and joy) and a peaceful (coronavirus free) New Year.

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests.” Luke 2.14

The Olympic Story Behind Christ The Redeemer!

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Christ the Redeemer 002

What a wonderful Olympics it has been! After months of worry and uncertainly about the Stadium, the Zika virus and political unrest, Rio 2016 has been a great success. Certainly from a British point of view there has been a lot to cheer about – not only have the women’s eight matched the men with gold medals in the rowing for the first time ever, but Max Whitlock has become Team GB’s first ever gymnastics champion (twice!); Justin Rose became the first man to win the golf at the Olympics since it was last played in 1904 and Andy Murray put us all through the mill as he successfully defended his tennis title first won at London 2012. At this time of writing, the athletics is well underway and Team GB find themselves, somewhat surprisingly second on the medal table in front of China – but will it last? But of course, the tales of inspirational human endeavour aren’t simply tied to those who’ve come away with a medal but to all those who have done their best to be ‘the best they can be’ despite the odds (who can forget the efforts made by the Refugees Team, competing under the Olympic flag) and all such athletes should be proud. However, the sporting arena is not the only source of wonder and appreciation – the Brazilians have been commended for their warm welcome, hospitality and sense of fun, along with their beautiful country, ranging from the beautiful Copacabana beach at Rio to the magnificent statue of ‘Christ the Redeemer’ looking down upon the city from the Corcovado Mountain.

Although the statute isn’t the largest statue of Jesus to be found in the world it is considered to be an ‘art-deco’ masterpiece and is hugely iconic of Rio de Janeiro and symbolic of Brazil’s Catholic Christian heritage. The statue is 98 feet tall (not including it’s 26-foot-tall pedestal) and weighs 635 tonnes. There were several designs initially proposed but the familiar statue we recognise today with its open arms (measuring 92 feet wide) was specifically chosen to represent the love of Christ for the world who will warmly welcome and embrace all who come to him. The statue was originally built in 1922 and took 9 years to complete, and was officially declared one of the ‘New Seven Wonders of the World’ on 7th July 2007.

This wonderful statue of Jesus is of course called ‘Christ the Redeemer’ but why and what is so special about redemption? Well, redemption literally means ‘buying back’ and was often used in the ancient world of slaves buying their freedom or having it bought for them. One of the greatest acts of redemption in the Bible (and which has coloured the way this word is used ever since) was when God bought his people out of slavery in Egypt to give them freedom in the promised land. The problem was, that over the years the people found themselves repeatedly bound as slaves by successive regimes and therefore in need of a ‘new redemption’. The early Christians understood this in the most radical of ways, they saw it as pointing to the poverty of their own human condition, they were constantly ‘in slavery to death and sin’. What they needed was a redeemer! Someone who would be able to pay the price for their sin and lead them to freedom and new life. That person was Jesus! His self-giving, sacrificial death upon the cross was truly Olympic in its magnitude, the most dramatic, inspiring and generous gift of God’s love the world had ever seen. His death was the price paid for our ‘redemption’, the innocent dying for the guilty, but of course the Gospel story doesn’t conclude with Christ’s death but his resurrection! His rising from the grave was the first sign, evidence and promise of future hope and life everlasting. A precious gift warmly and freely given to anyone who wishes to receive it and puts their faith and trust in Jesus as their personal Lord, Saviour and Redeemer. The Olympics may be glorious; the games have been thankfully largely harmonious, and the athletic achievements truly inspirational – but the story behind the Christ the Redeemer statue is even more so and gives us all the chance of reaching our full potential and ‘being better than we can be despite the odds’.

We are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. Romans 3.24

Let’s Celebrate The Prince Of Peace This Christmas

Stephen Thorp Leave a comment

prince of peace_t_nv

In the light of recent atrocities carried out around the world and especially those in November carried out in Paris in the name of the so called ‘Islamic State’, it’s easy to see why some people take the view that it’s religion which is the cause of all evil, suffering and division. It’s especially easy to adopt this perspective if you have no religious faith of your own and yet wish to find some sort of convenient explanation as to why there should be so much sadness, suffering, anger and hate in the world, whilst at the same time distancing oneself from it. Unfortunately this view is rather too simplistic and doesn’t actually tell the whole story. For instance, it doesn’t adequately explain why so many of the victims of ‘Islamic State’ have actually been Muslim, or why some of the recent Islamic extremists weren’t particularly religious until they became radicalised. Neither does it recognise the vast amount of good that is done by people of faith and particularly by Christians up and down the land. The truth is that although none of us are perfect, there are some truly horrible people in the world, who at the slightest insult will do all that they can to ‘get even’, or take advantage, using whatever means, power or influence they have to gain control and satisfy their own wicked ends, regardless of the cost to others or the number of people they hurt. When sufficient individuals gather together in such a way, they have the means to become an expression of pure evil.

However, CHRISTMAS IS A REMINDER THAT THE WORLD DOES NOT HAVE TO BE LIKE THIS! At Christmas, the Christian celebrates the wonderful truth that ‘Almighty God’, the Creator of the universe, steps into his creation. He literally stepped into this forlorn and broken world in the person of Jesus, arriving not as a conquering king, tyrant or dictator, but as a tiny, fragile, vulnerable little baby; not as a superman immune to our trials and tribulations, but as a human being, walking, talking and experiencing the joys and pains of life just like each and every one of us. His ambition therefore was not to control the world or coerce its inhabitants in any way, but to transform it, starting with its people – by giving each and every man, woman and child the possibility of a new start and a new life ‘in Christ’. This is done by a simple act of repentance, a true and genuine act of contrition for every bad thing that we have ever said or done which spoils our lives and those of the people around us. It is not simply a case of saying sorry (as important as that is) or trying to be good (for who can be good enough?). It is done by putting one’s faith in the person of Jesus, acknowledging him to be our Lord and Saviour who dies for us upon the cross wiping out our sin, and indeed the sin of the world, and offering us forgiveness in its place. This is an act of pure and unadulterated love on the part of God, who ‘loved the world so much that he gave his one and only son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life’ (John 3.16). This is not simply an act of atonement but of peace, for how can we hate ourselves or the people around us if we know that God has expressed his love for us in the person of Jesus and dies for them, offering the same promise of hope, joy and peace to us all? This is truly GOOD NEWS and can make a world of difference to the world in which we live. No wonder Jesus is called the ‘Prince of Peace’!

‘For unto us a child is born…. Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace’. Isaiah 9.6