Christian Comment with Eric Massey

STORMS have been very much in the news, hurricanes, typhoons, tropical storms wash away peoples hopes and dreams, cost lives and homes and so much more.

In our country, we experience severe storms very rarely, but in life storms often threaten to overwhelm us we can be panicky or despair simply waiting to be washed overboard.

Relationship storms, create waves especially when heartbreak swamps us, breakdown creates waves.

Storms of life are often more present than we might think, unemployment, benefits stopped, debt and or addiction each can play a part.

Whenever community prospers in its spiritual self, that is whenever communities show care and concern for their neighbour and for the stranger the storms of life are reduced to comparative whispers.

It is the love and care on offer that reduces the storm and the joy is we can all play a part.

Faith communities generally practice love and care but they too get it wrong some times, they are familiar with stories of storms, within the Christian tradition a particular story tells of Jesus, wakened by the panic of his friends stills the storm that threatens them.

The desire in Jesus heart is that we learn how to love, it was at the heart of his Judaism, captured in his teaching and example.

So what about you?

Are you prepared to whisper words of comfort for a neighbour entangled in life storms?

To listen rather than knowing what they need or loading your expectations upon them, by caring enough to make a difference.