Dear Friends,
2012 is scheduled to bring at least two major national events to look forward to: the London Olympics, and the Queen’s diamond jubilee celebrations. Apart from these, though, the future seems far more uncertain than it has been for many years. Indeed, some are not only predicting prolonged times of economic hardship, but are also warning that this could bring about far more profound changes in our everyday life and in our system of government.
There’s a story Jesus told that speaks powerfully in such uncertain times. It’s well-known through the children’s song, ‘The wise man built his house on the rock’ which tells of two builders: one who took the trouble to find a solid rock on which to build his house; the other being happy to build on a more easily-available stretch of sand. At first there may not have seemed much difference in their dwellings. But when faced with the challenge of rough winds and rising flood waters, only the house on the rock survived; the house built on sand , in the words of the song, ‘fell flat’.
It’s actually a parable with a very serious theme. Jesus is warning his listeners of the huge risk they are taking with their lives if they fail to put his teaching into practice. But he is also giving those who live by his words a wonderful promise. That whatever life may throw at us – whatever difficulties, economic, political or personal we may have to contend with - believing in Jesus and following his words will give a stability and a security that can’t be found in anything else
Yours sincerely,
Andrew Dawswell and Robert Fisher
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