Aptiva

A passage in the book of Ezekiel refers to actions taken by the people of God, in direct contradictions to the way God would have them conduct themselves. His response is to refuse to answer their cries for an explanation and to remove the people from their positions and land. Ezekiel 20:27-31 (NLT) “Therefore, son of man, give the people of Israel this message from the Sovereign Lord: Your ancestors continued to blaspheme and betray me, 28 for when I brought them into the land I had promised them, they offered sacrifices on every high hill and under every green tree they saw! They roused my fury as they offered up sacrifices to their gods. They brought their perfumes and incense and poured out their liquid offerings to them. 29 I said to them, ‘What is this high place where you are going?’ (This kind of pagan shrine has been called Bamah—‘high place’—ever since.) 30 “Therefore, give the people of Israel this message from the Sovereign Lord: Do you plan to pollute yourselves just as...

A poem by John Donne reads. No man is an island, Entire of itself, Every man is a piece of the continent, A part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less. As well as if a promontory were. As well as if a manor of thy friend's Or of thine own were: Any man's death diminishes me, Because I am involved in mankind, And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; It tolls for thee.  John Donne In it, we find the correct assertion, that we were created for community. How we treat others, even our supposed enemies reflects upon us and affects our environment. The poem speaks of being "diminished by the death of others". Given that all die, one assumes the author is talking about how others die, not the inevitability of death. How we treat life reflects on our humanity.  The Carpenter was clear to show the community is the way people are meant to operate, and often the way to restore this community was to offer forgiveness ...

Where I Live it's getting hotter. We have moved from Autumn through to near Summer. Today should be 34C. Kids can now play outside, people do gardening, early rises walk our dogs. It's good. Yet it is hot! By 5PM when the heat is at it's highest, I hide indoors, and thankfully for the first time in my life I have air conditioning. 34C pushes my limits, I grew up with UK weather! After many years of living in Australia, I've sort of adjusted. A friend has resided in Africa, they think this is just a nice warm day. They have been cold for a few months, now things are getting OK. Heat, temperature, are all comparative. What we are used to, affects how we respond to the environment. Past history colours present experience. God is the same. One person I know had a poor example of a Father. They can never use that description regarding God, it's too painful, too loaded. I suspect they can never say the prayer Jesus taught us, "Our Father." Past hi...