Runaway Pram and Other Stories

I snapped this picture from the Lecture Theatre while the choir did their debriefing there, after performing for Speech Day this morning. The blur reflects the speed of the pram, while the pram itself is relatively sharp because my camera panned along with it. It struck me as a rather humourous composition, what with the little boy running after the pram...

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Well, I'm officially down with the cold. Must've gotten it from my brother, who was ill last week. Li-Shia is down too; her sister had the 'flu last week as well.

I wonder if this is God's way of punishing those who neglect their duties/responsibilities to Him and to others. Then again, to assume that all the hale and hearty are righteous, and the sickly and decrepit evil, is the sort of mistake exemplified by Job's friends.

Whatever the case, I do realise that I haven't been reading the Bible much over the last two weeks or so. Beyond that, I cannot recall, but I haven't been reading the Bible much anyway. So I shall consecrate these days of my illness to the reading of God's Word.

The focus: Ephesians. Perhaps I'll read both the NIV and The Message. See what God has to say this time around.

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Li-Shia says the burnt offerings are to prevent the Hungry Ghosts from disturbing the house. Jean says they are provisions for the Hungry/Homeless Ghosts.

What Jean said struck a chord. It reminded me of Christ's command to care for the poor, as He illustrated with this parable:

"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'

"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'

"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'

"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

--Matthew 25:34-46 (NIV)

Which begs the question: why stop at the Ghosts? Should we not also care for the living homeless and hungry, not just the dead ones?

I wonder if the haze is caused, in part, by the burning of the offerings for the Ghosts. Yet rain has been falling, just as it fell in the days of Elijah. God sends rain to wash away the dust and dirt of life, ushering in the promise of hope and new life... times of refreshing.

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We listened to the Petra Means Rock CD in the car today. Dad likes it. ;-)