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The Other Half The Other Half
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Quite a lot of children are not familiar with how their food is produced. I heard this week that some children from an inner city environment were horrified to hear that milk was produced by cows - they had genuinely thought that it was produced in a factory, like squash! Even some children in our local school could not identify a runner bean plant and certainly had no experience of growing food in their gardens. It seems that some of the younger generation is quite happy to accept food that is given to them without questioning where or how it has been produced. I suspect that there are some adults who are in similar ignorance! I was remembering the verse about spiritual food and how new-born Christians crave spiritual milk but as we mature we need ‘solid’ food - we need to be acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. (Heb 5:13) We need to live our faith in a dynamic way - active in our faith, more than ‘being nice’ to people so that they are not offended by us. It is very easy for us to slip into a ‘non-questioning state’ as we go about our daily lives. Too often I have ignored something which doesn’t impact my life only to discover, maybe years later, that there have been consequences which have affected me in a most unexpected way. There’s been a lot about “ethical questions” in the media lately. I do believe that the time has come when Christians are no longer able to remain silent about moral, ethical and legal issues. So many decisions are being made for us these days - and many of them are NOT compatible with our Christian beliefs. I must applaud those Christians who have stood and fought for their - I should say ‘our’ - beliefs for many years, often incurring ridicule and even hatred. Well, it’s time the silent majority stood up to be counted as well. And we need to act righteously - not aggressively or vindictively. At all times we need to be motivated by our love of our fellow men and women, our compassion for their circumstances and our desire for their well being. We need to act within the Lord’s will - we need to know His desires and we need to understand His mind. It is a major challenge - but we can dare to face it as we know that our God will be with us. We will be better equipped to think for ourselves, to advise and act when we are better informed by His Word. As we apply His principles to our lives we will grow in confidence and effectiveness. I pray that I will not be saying in the years to come, “If only I had done something about that…..” The future is formed by today and is our responsibility. God has a plan, of that we are sure - may we be part of it, not onlookers but activists. May He help us to discern the battles to fight and the way to do it. May His kingdom come … © Sue Whitehead
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