蜜芽传媒

A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with Dr Krish Kandiah.

Good Morning.

A new year stretches out before us like fields covered in freshly fallen snow. My children gaze out dreaming of snowmen waiting to be built, snowballs waiting to be thrown and sledge runs waiting to be travelled. All I see is a cold, lonely landscape and the prospect of head injuries and soggy shoes. I don鈥檛 remember being so pessimistic last January - perhaps 2020 sucked out my sense of adventure. The unexpected challenges of last year have left a legacy of worry and self-preservation.

After their close friend died unexpectedly, Jesus鈥檚 disciples went through a similar period of emotional exhaustion. Once inspired by the teacher鈥檚 claims, they gave up friends, family and lucrative jobs - and it had all been worth it! They saw the sick healed, the hungry fed and the dead raised to life. But just when everything was going so well, Jesus was brutally murdered on trumped-up charges. When life throws you a curve ball, you begin to imagine them appearing from all directions. The disciples did what we might be tempted to do too: stay at home with your fears and lock the door.

There are not enough bolts in the world that can stop God from entering a room. Jesus had made his way past death, gravestones, and armed guards to get to his beleaguered disciples, greeting them finally with one word: 鈥淪halom鈥� - peace. This peace quelled their anxieties and soon the bunch of scared young people had turned into fearless world-changers.

Lord Jesus, where some see hope and opportunity ahead in this new year, others see danger and challenge.

Visit us we pray with your Shalom peace calming our anxious thoughts and reviving our spirits.

Amen.