Saturday, 31 March 2012

Become a Stretcher-Bearer

Our relationships with others are important.  Jesus reminds us (in Matthew 25, amongst other places) that how we treat others is effectively how we treat him.  I was hungry and you gave me food, thirsty and you gave me a drink etc.  That is quite a thought - but it reminds us to treat others with respect and in the right way.  There are lots of ways in which we can help others, but one thing that is always possible is to pray.  We should be bringing others before God in prayer, and it is good to do that in a caring way.

I have been reading Brian McLaren's Naked Spirituality (Hodder & Stoughton, 2010).  In one part he reflects on the story of the four men who so cared for their sick friend that they took him up on the roof and made a hole in the roof to get him to Jesus.  I am not sure about taking roofs apart, but I do know we ought to take people and situations to Jesus, and especially through prayer.  As McLaren puts it - p. 160 - "When we practise compassionate intercession, we become the stretcher-bearers for others in need."

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