As I sit here writing this devotion for the 7th Sunday of Easter, my heart is again troubled as our world suffers at the hands of yet another school shooting. As I sit here, I am again reminded that there are parents who will never be able to tuck their babies into bed, and a spouse who will never be able to hug their husband. As I grieve for the pain, suffering and hate that is going on in our world, I am reminded of the faithfulness of Christ, Our Risen Lord. There IS a promise of a new day. A day without any pain or suffering. The cross is what made that possible for all God’s children. With the world that we are actively living in, it is even more important for Christians to call on God’s Spirit to deepen us in faith so that in living that faith we are love to a hurting world.
In today’s Gospel we see Jesus’s love for His creation. “Father, they are your gift to me. I wish that where I am they also may be with me, that they may see my glory that you gave me, because you loved me before the foundation of the world.” It wasn’t that long ago that we walked the road of suffering with Jesus, and Christ walked that road because HE wanted US to be with Him for all eternity. Jesus wants us to be one with Him. This means as Christians that we must pray and work towards the gift of unity within Christ. If we are to follow Christ we must also die with Him. “I wish that they may see my glory that you gave me.” The Risen Lord in all His glory is right at the door waiting for ALL of us to just turn the handle.
The church (all of us) represent Christ present in our world. Sometimes I know it’s hard to see because our world daily is riddled with violence, hate, suffering, and war, but if we push through all the brokenness of the world, the love and light of Christ will shine through and it will overpower everything that is painful and dark in our world.
I know I am just one person, but I want to be the type of person who stands up against injustice, fights for my fellow brothers and sisters, and speaks unashamedly about a God who sent His Son to die so that we may have everlasting life in a new world without any pain, war, suffering and hate. That is the kind of world I will work towards until God calls me to my forever home.
If you are suffering in any kind of way - I pray that you feel God’s loving arms wrapped around you, and the peace of knowing that a better day is coming!
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