Happy New Year to one and all…I pray you had an incredible Christmas and offer my hopes for a joyful New Year for you and your family. I’ve always believed that there are opportunities for us to ‘begin again.’ To be able to make a fresh start, but some recent events and comments lead me to question how widespread such a belief is.
For instance, is a thief always a thief…a murderer always a murderer? It’s often said a Leopard never changes it spots. An oft repeated saying which effectively states we are incapable of change. Thieves will always be thieves..murderers always murderers…and liars always liars… It’s an interesting concept given God’s perspective that a sin (any sin mind you) is a sin. There really is no distinction between them in His eyes. Interestingly, as a country who’s christian past informs so much of our modern society, many people never realise this particular saying is drawn from Jeremiah 13: 23 which asks ‘Can Ethiopians change their skin or leopards their spots?’ It’s always been taken out of context (as so often happens in all walks of life) and used to suggest those who do evil cannot change and will always revert to type. But it conveniently ignores a few things. First, the verse continues with ‘…then also you can do good who are accustomed to do evil…’ a clear image that we are all capable of changing our nature.
Secondly it ignores Jesus’ teachings in parables such as the Prodigal Son, Lost Sheep and Lost Coin where Jesus makes clear none of us are beyond redemption. None of us are beyond God’s gift of making a fresh start and being ‘right’ with Him. For me this underpins the nature of our health service, police and a variety of professionals who treat all with equality, professionalism and according to their needs. The police still answer 999 calls made by known perpetrators of crime, doctors still treat those injured in committing crimes because they have a responsibility to all of us, or might it be because they recognise they themselves are not perfect, as is true of so many of us. When the Pharisees brought a woman before Jesus who had been caught committing adultery they wanted him to condemn her. Leaving aside the notable absence of the man complicit in the adultery I have to say Jesus was having none of it. Instead he taught them a valuable lesson when he said ‘Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.’ No-one did of course. Instead they left, one by one, until only Jesus and the woman were left. None condemned her, and Jesus said ‘neither do I condemn you. Go on your way and sin no more.’
The bible is replete with stories of those who received a fresh start at the hands of Jesus. Through healing, or prayers or simply touching his cloak. Jesus was the ultimate in new beginnings. He came as God made flesh to renew the covenant between the Father and his people Israel. But he also came so that the Gentiles might have a new beginning, as God’s family. I for one am thankful that he did.
I pray that this year God the Father, who led the Wise Men by the shining star to find Jesus, the Light of the World, may lead each of us in a pilgrimage to find His presence in our lives and those of our families…
with every blessing…
Rev Paul
