Hey friends.

Beauty from mess, right? That's what we keep saying at St. Joe's because that seems to be an integral part of the story of God in this world.

But the most staggering bit is that most of the time, the mess is of human origin. Our own destruction of this wonderful world he's given us. Our own manipulation and corruption of power structures that could be used to be a blessing. Our own selfishness and greed which means nearly 1 in 10 people in this vast world of ours lives in extreme poverty.

And yet the story of the Bible is that God doesn’t give up on us! He keeps promising beauty out of mess, beauty out of mess, beauty out of mess.

We are living in a world where a huge country like Russia can seemingly bully their way to huge land gains at the expense of ordinary Ukrainians. Where heavily weaponised Middle Eastern countries use extreme force in order to eradicate their enemies. Where power-hungry men with demonstrably poor character can be crowned President of "the Free World". Where other wars have been going on so long that they don't even register on our newsfeeds at all. And most of what happens will happen without any say or sway from little old you and me.

You could be forgiven to think - where the HELL are you in all of this God?!

But remember Jesus. Born into poverty/breadline living, in an era of the super-power of the Roman state. He and his community had no say over the power struggles that lay way above their heads; and yet had to suffer the consequences of decisions made hundreds of miles away from home.

Jesus made the audacious claim that not only was God going to do something about it, he was in fact doing it by becoming one of the seemingly powerless; by suffering at the hands of the oppressive regime. And by inaugurating a whole new way of seeing and living in the world - on the cross.

The ultimate beauty from mess.

The beauty that says God's Kingdom is coming and has begun to arrive even in the midst of the pain and the mess. Despite torture, ostracism and death Jesus' message spread like wildfire throughout the Roman Empire, quickly and quietly bringing it to it's knees through a radical commitment to the Jesus' way; changing the course of world history inexorably in it's wake.

The call is still the same today. We're being called to live a radically different way from the power-hungry, tight-fisted, mean-spirited world around us. To keep spotting the beauty in the mess and joining in. Whoever is president. Whoever is Prime Minister. Whoever starts another war.

Because in the end, we get to put our trust in the one who will have the ultimate victory: who will bring justice and mercy; and will one day bring true and lasting beauty out of the whole damn lot.

Love you guys,

Ben