dandmWe are living in politically exciting and fast changing days! Unless you write and have access to the internet everyday, it is hard to keep up with everything that is happening in our nation but also across the world. (For example just yesterday we were hearing and being horrified by the death of more than eighty people in Nice. France is certainly under massive terrorist attack at this time.) Our responsibility, I believe, in all this is to ‘fear not’, ‘pray fervently’ and to continually declare, ‘Your Kingdom come and Your will be done.’

But in the midst of all this national activity are individual lives. Part of my gifting has been pastoral and when training our pastoral team, I remind them often, for us pastors, the one matters. We don’t simply see ‘the forest’, we see ‘the tree’.

Last Sunday evening I was part of the team leading prayer and when there is such significant need, I don’t want to be ‘creative’, my heart simply wants to get into that powerful place where the two or three are in agreement, get down and do business with God, and so we prayed for our nation, nations and world leaders. Towards the end of the evening, we specifically opened the mic and invited people to come and pray.

The majority of the group that participated were immigrants to our nation. They included a mature doctor, a young woman and two young children and as they prayed and blessed this nation with safety, prosperity and strong godly leaders, I was moved to tears. Unfortunately so much of the Brexit decision has centred on uncontrolled immigration. And as they prayed I stood in their shoes and thought how very painful and difficult it must be to feel unwelcome, not wanted, a burden. I just felt led to tell them how much we loved them, valued them and know how much they give and add to Great Britain.  This particular group reassured me they had felt nothing but welcome and accepted. However I have since heard that some people are indeed experiencing an increased level of discrimination recently.

If you, like us, have many friends from other lands, they need our special love, support, protection and friendship at this time.

‘Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres, love never fails.’

In the midst of all this turmoil, let us never forget who we are and the second greatest commandment Jesus Himself gave us, ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ Let our love be expressed and evident at this crucial time.