Lent Fifteen "Get up and Walk"

The Prisoners - Käthe Kollwitz - Leicester Art Gallery

 The God of the Christians is a father who is a great deal more concerned about his apples than he is about his children.  

Diderot, Addition aux Pensées philosophiques, circa. 1762

Is it a problem that the Bible begins with a story that doesn't make sense?  This puts 'hanged for sheep steeling in Dublin' (apparently the fate of one of my ancestors) into the shade.  For those who see this story as an allegory about how things went so drastically wrong in the world, a little more thought is needed.  The issue is about choosing to do something to spite the Creator, and put deceit and lies into the relationship.  This leads to divorce.  But  this story is at the very beginning of the bible, and the solution is spelt out there also.  

Paul's Letter to the Roman Believers Chapter Six

So now shall we return to hurting our Creator? Of course not! That would be like turning around and walking in the opposite direction. When we commit ourselves to a life with Jesus, It's like a marriage, 'for better, for worse'. All our inclination to hurt and mar our relationship has been taken away; We are living anew. We follow in Jesus footsteps, through death, into life. We are free from the control of wicked desires. Do not let evil compulsion hold any sway over you. Your entirety is now devoted to life with your Creator. And with it comes freedom to truly be yourself. We know the example of slavery. Slavery is a terrible thing, the deprivation of liberty. To be a slave to wickedness and evil is hideous. It is full of shame and helplessness. So we are freed from a life of slavery to a life of goodness and fulfilment. What a mercy, as the path of slavery leads to death, But the free gift of life with Jesus leads to eternal life. 

PRAYER:  Thank you for your love and mercy, that brings hope into the darkest despair.