PRAYER PAUSE
Friday 3 November 2017
MY
MENTAL ANGUISH IS SO ENDLESS
Pause. Enter into the stillness
of God within.
Reading: “What I want to say is my sorrow
is so great, my mental anguish so endless, I would willingly be condemned and
cut off from Christ if it could help my brotehsr of Israel, my own flesh and
blood.” (Romans 9:1-5)
Reflection. After the soaring
sentimentys of chapter eight, Paul now feels the pain that his own flesh and
blood of Israel do not share in the promises he has described. They are the
very ones who receved the special favour of God as the forerunners of the
gospel, And yet here they are, at the end of the day, cut off. So the pain of
division is very real. God, of course, has never abandoned Israel and has shown
a kind of favouritism, nepotism?!, towads them. Some of our greatest scientists
(Einstein), musicians (Barenboim) and philosophes have been Jewish – highly gifted
people. Still, the pain of division – played out in Isarel and Palestine today –
is painful. And, what is more, we are remembereing the Balfour Declaration these
days – a moment of joy for the Jews and agony for the Palestinians.
Prayer.
Lord, we share the sorrow of Paul and pray for our Jewish brothers and sisters.
May we all move towards the unity and reconciliation for which your heart aches.
Amen.
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