"You Are On Our Side"

I know I said that I was going to do one continuous blog for each day that I write, but I feel that this deserves a separate space.

I love Bethany Dillon. I especially love her album, 'Waking Up', and further still, the song "You Are On Our Side". This Sunday is world communion Sunday. I have the opportunity this week to somehow, creatively portray 'The Table' - communion - and what it is to share a meal with someone, and build relationships in that way. I was looking through some material, and suddenly remembered this song, "You Are On Our Side".

The words are powerful, so I encourage you to look them up, or listen carefully as you watch the following video. With everything going on in our small lives, and in the world, we lose perspective easily. We forget about things, we forget to be more compassionate for other people... World Communion Sunday is a chance to remember the world- that Jesus died on the cross for you, for me, but also for every other person... I don't... I can't really explain in the short time that I have just how ...powerful this is... Because the good news is not just about Jesus coming to die for our sins, its about what that single act in history does to our our ability to live now: to love, and to love each other and to spend time with each other because we love them....Jesus sat at the table with the wounded and the poor. He laughed and shared stories with the thief and th whore. And when he could have just stood silent and leave us here to die, he didn't. We shouldn't. We just shouldn't. The Gospel is for everyone. Everyone. Everyone.

I was watching the news this morning as I was getting ready for work, and listening to this song/watching this video at the same time (I'm a fabulous multi-tasker, no?). There have been several stories: One was about a trial for two men who brutally raped and murdered this man's wife and two daughters, and then burned his house down. One was about a car bombing in west Africa, and two were about events closely related to war, and one about a freshman at a college who took his own life, thought to be linked to the actions of people who probably didn't realize exactly how unloving they were being. In the past year, there has been war, natural disasters and massive amounts of devastation, murder, political and personal scandal, broken economy, broken relationships, broken hearts, broken people... and what do we have to hope in? We have the opportunity to make moments in life loving and hopeful for others through the time we spend with them, through the love we share and receive through them, by praying for them, by meeting physical needs and emotional, spiritual, and community desires through the relationships that we build with each other. We have the opportunity not to stand there, silent, and leave others to die. Because God sent his Son for us. He is on our side.

Love deeply,love purely. If you don't know how to, ask God to help you.

God help us to love you more, and love our brothers and sisters around the world as you have loved us.

Love,

Lindsay