Wednesday, April 22, 2020
“The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will remove from his Kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil.” (Matthew 13:41, New Livi8ng Translation.) 

                We could use the talents of a few good angels these days, don’t you think?

                Although I get the impression that some people hope these rescuing angels bring toilet paper and beauty aids but I think it is more serious than that. If the pandemic wasn’t bad enough, Evil finds an empty void in a man’s chaotic soul in Nova Scotia and it explodes into horrific violence and death.

Calling all angels! Help!

I am grateful, more than I can say, that we are safe and sound, tucked in our little cocoon world here in Peterborough, but if these are the end times please, God, don’t leave us behind. It’s nasty out there!

Yet there are glimmers of sunshine, beauty and grace that are prototype angels perhaps. The courage and resolve of frontline health workers, the success of fund raising to equip those workers and others, even the various levels of governments stepping up and helping in significant ways, some businesses and manufacturers setting aside profits to help out, are  all signs of our ability to endure and withstand the evil we are facing. There are some great stories of communities coming together to help support and assist each other even while social distancing. It fascinates me that world pollution has decreased significantly throughout part of the world.

You take angels where you can find them.

Then again, perhaps you can be an angel to someone. You can erase some of the fear, sadness and worry from someone’s life. It doesn’t always take heroic acts.

Our friend, Tish, passed on a wonderful video yesterday. It was a rendition of the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel’s Messiah. As the choir sang this strong, joyous music, video clips had been edited together showing people, at home, lifting up signs with the words printed on them in sync with the music as it was sung. People in masks. Children and adults.   Sitting out on their front verandas. Hanging out in their back yards. In their living rooms. Hanging out of bedroom windows. I don’t know how they arranged it all but it was an uplifting and joyful song of resistance against these troubling times.  Just what we needed.  “And He shall reign forever.”

Angels and Hallelujahs – that’s what we need right now.

Angels and  Hallelujahs and you – that’s what the world needs right now!

Let’s not surrender ourselves or our world to the evils that try to rip apart hope, love, joy and peace. Let us not sacrifice compassion, kindness, goodness in the ashes of pain and suffering. Let us not lose sight of our common humanity. Let us not lose faith in that which makes us stronger and bolder. Let us not lose faith, period – in God or his angels.

And having done everything we can do, let us stand and face the evil.

“Staying with it—that’s what God requires. Stay with it to the end. You won’t be sorry, and you’ll be saved.”  (Matthew 24:13, The Message Bible)

Dale