The Cradle

There is a train in Berlin that circles around the outskirts of the city centre, hence the name "ring-bahn".  I live on the western end of the ring while my friend Rike lives on the eastern end.  Needless to say it is a long ride from my place to hers.  You encounter quite a change of scenery when you go on that train as it journeys from district to district.  You also observe a real collection of eclectic colourful people and when I say colourful, read: blue-green-purple mohawked.   Today as I sat on my seat balancing my guitar between my knees and listening to my Ipod on the Ring-bahn, I see this very drunk old scruffy-looking man come onto the train.  He sits one row of seats in front of me, back-to-me, and I see the eyes of the children sitting by him go wide-eyed on their now pale little faces as the man yells loudly at many different people on the train all the while laughing hysterically.  Eventually, he ends up sitting right across from me as I'm sure the parent of the children kindly but firmly instructed him to move.  I stared out the window and made no eye contact as this man swigging back his bottle of vodka with a broken bottleneck laughed obnoxiously.  I knew he said a few things to me, not that I could understand his slurred German words, but I think the comments had to do with my awkward large guitar case and requests for me to play music.  And then all of the sudden, he just started to cry, tears streaming down his face as he clutched onto his broken almost empty bottle.  This man is broken.  This man is alone in a train full of people.  I so desperately wanted to hug this man, hold his hand and tell him he is worth it but I couldn't.  I was frightened of what he might have happened if I did and I had the lame excuse that I wouldn't be able to communicate with him.  I could have punched myself for ignoring this man.  Who am I some self-righteous snob?  The train jolted and his bottles clunked to the floor.  The young man sitting next to him, who obviously had enough at this point, picked up the bottles and dumped the remainder of the contents out the window and I stepped off the train onto the platform as if it never happened.

I've recently started a new daily devotions.  Part of the devotion is dedicated to praying for the church.  The other day as I was praying for the church and its people I got this picture of a cradle.  The cradle was nurturing God's children.  The cradle was caring for the orphaned, widowed, slaved, powerless, ill, homeless, oppressed.  Do you want to know what the cradle symbolized?  THE CHURCH!!!  ME!!!!  A baby cannot survive on its own.  It needs to be loved, educated, supported, raised, protected, encouraged, looked after, discipled and cradled.  The cradle is in works all of the time, not some of the time when it's most convenient for us or doesn't require much sacrifice, effort or risk.  As I think back to the situation on the train today, I see one example where it doesn't always come easy for me to care for God's children.  It's not something I can do on my own so openly and freely.  It takes a lot of boldness and courage.  Though in these acts, the greatness of the Kingdom shines through.  We are meant to live in relationship with one another.  We are meant to get down and messy in other people's lives.   Church let's get to work. Church let's become a spiritual family for one another.

Again back to the devotions I'm doing.  Every week there is a different hymn to focus on.  The one from this week seems very fitting.

  I like this version -->  Come Thou Long Expected Jesus - Kings Kaleidoscope

Come, Thou long expected Jesus
Born to set Thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us,
Let us find our rest in Thee.
Israel’s Strength and Consolation,
Hope of all the earth Thou art;
Dear Desire of every nation,
Joy of every longing heart.

Born Thy people to deliver,
Born a child and yet a King,
Born to reign in us forever,
Now Thy gracious kingdom bring.
By Thine own eternal Spirit
Rule in all our hearts alone;
By Thine all sufficient merit,
Raise us to Thy glorious throne.

Peace & love