'NEWSLINK' - MINISTER'S LETTER
 |
Revd Dermot Thornberry (Send a Private and Confidential Message to the Minister) |
Dear Friends,
BOWLER HATS, CANES AND THE
CHRISTIAN WALK
Imagine you are on holiday. You arrive
at your hotel. Someone who looks like Charlie
Chaplin picks up your bags. You arrive in the lobby to see
people in the image of the little man swaggering along
with canes under their arms. You suddenly gather that it is a
Charlie Chaplin look alike convention.
You are amazed at the profusion of moustaches, hats and canes .
You marvel at the commitment of all these people busy doing
their thing in the form of a “Chaplinesque”
swagger.
Imagine that you arrive in the same town
a few months later. There is a Christian convention. What would
you see? I doubt you would see sandals,
beards and white gowns. You suddenly think to yourself
“What would be the Christian
equivalent of a Chaplin swagger?”
Philippians 2:5 gives a clue.
Your attitude should be the same as
Jesus’ (NIV). In other words the same as the
compassion and servant-hood of Jesus which led him to the cross.
(Continue to read verses 6-11.) The
equivalent of the Chaplin swagger is a walk of love and
servant-hood. This is the mark of a Christian community.
It is meant to be as recognizable as that swinging cane,
the black hat and swagger.
I see the dressing up like Charlie
Chaplin as the “BEING”. I see the swaggering
walk as about the “BECOMING” of Charlie Chaplin.
Christ following is about “BEING” (i.e.
dressing up). However the priority is in the
journey of always “BECOMING” (i.e. the walk).
May we continue the journey of
“BECOMING” within our community as we walk from the Easter
celebration into the lives of those around us and those with
needs.
May you all have a blessed Easter,
See also Minister's letters archive page.
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