Dear brothers and sisters,
It is always a privilege for ministers to address ourselves to you all. I feel joy doing it! I pray that the Lord supports you in these difficult times!
Leafing through the Bible, I found a verse that talked to my heart and that I want to share with you.
‘Be the fruit of the Spirit in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, against such things there is not law.’ Galatians 5:22-23
At this point I want to share with you this touching artwork by Martin Hudacek from Slovakia. It’s the monument to ‘The child that was never born’. You might wonder why I am showing you this now. I have been thinking deeply about relationships in this period. It is so easy to argue in our situation at this time of crisis; when we drive, on the street and at home, in this stressful time when we are in lockdown.
It seems mental health problems have worsened for many people and we often find ourselves replying to even strangers with no patience, no attention or no care. We get upset for nothing sometimes and react without really knowing what is going on in the lives of others.
We must learn to regard people less in the light of what they omit to do, and more in the light of what they suffer’. This image shows a woman who could be any person we meet on the street and who holds all her pain within her: for a child never born or lost – and she might be the one we shout at while we drive, while we are queuing at the post office and so on.
Dietrich Bonhoefer
Let us try to be kind, let us try to be peacemakers, and give testimony to the love of God to all.
Peace to you all
Claudia
