Scripture:“So we do not lose heart…. We are always confident; even though we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord – for we walk by faith, not sight.” (2 Cor 4.16, 5.6-7) Reflection: We have to cope in a world in which God seems so often absent - just as the friends and followers of Jesus had to learn to live without his physical presence. St Paul had an exceptional experience of ‘seeing the light’ and was exceptionally empowered to be a missionary. But he also experienced much terrible personal persecution from all quarters, (Romans, Greeks, Arabs and Jews) and shipwreck. But he had also witnessed in himself and others how things – and our bodies – are short-lived , unlke the spiritual virtues such as Truth and Love, which live on. We walk on by faith, not sight. David Harmsworth
Scripture‘Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there who had a withered hand. They watched him to see whether he would cure him on the sabbath, so that they might accuse him. And he said to the man who had the withered hand, ‘Come forward.’ Then he said to them, ‘Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the sabbath, to save life or to kill?’ But they were silent. He looked around at them with anger; he was grieved at their hardness of heart and said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ He stretched it out, and his hand was restored.’ Mark 3:1-5Reflection Like the people watching Jesus, we are often hamstrung by our own rules. We have accepted a set of standards for behaviour which we do not seem able to break out of, even when it would be the kinder, more humane thing to do. We judge the other, and the situation, without stepping back and seeing the bigger picture. ‘He’ is dirty, ‘she’ hasn’t got very good parenting skills, ‘they’ are spending their money unwisely. And so they don’t deserve our compassion, our help or even our attention. We can safely ignore them. But that is not the Jesus Way. He sees the person behind the rule, beyond the prejudice. He sees the real need and brings real healing at the right time. He even sees and loves us, willing us to do better, to be the kinder, bigger people we were created to be. Lord, soften our hearts and open our eyes to see as you do! Revd Ylva
