Find Madeleine
I've read some quite indignant comments on the net saying things like "Do people have any idea how many children die every day or are enslaved every day ? So why all this fuss over another one ?"
I don't think like that at all. You can't divide the anguish of losing a child by the number of lost children and share out the pain. Every child is unique, bearer of God's image, uniquely precious in his sight and every child should be uniquely precious in their parents' sight and in ours.
Every missing or dying or suffering child demands the kind of response that people have given to Madeleine's disappearance. If we don't give it it's because we are hard hearted. I am glad for the outcry over Madeleine. I wish there was more outcry for all these children.
I think there's a gospel link to it, too, though I am about to descend into incoherence ! (Well I am ill !)
Jesus died. Loads of people die every day. He was crucified. That's what the Romans did. He died a sacrificial death in the place of others. Lots of people do that.
(I remember one classic early Deeside communion service when I spoke about the heroism of Captain Oates, who said "I am going outside. I may be some time." People said, "Who ?")
Another chap said "three hours, that's all he suffered. Eighteen months my mother suffered." Of course, for Jesus it was more like 33 years suffering, but that's beside the point...
The point of the cross was the pact between the Father and the Son, whereby the Father gave his Son for our guilt. At one and the same time He (the Father) makes His soul (Jesus') an offering for sin and it is His Son with whom He is well pleased.
That's why the cross is unique.
The Father gives his Son.
I don't think like that at all. You can't divide the anguish of losing a child by the number of lost children and share out the pain. Every child is unique, bearer of God's image, uniquely precious in his sight and every child should be uniquely precious in their parents' sight and in ours.
Every missing or dying or suffering child demands the kind of response that people have given to Madeleine's disappearance. If we don't give it it's because we are hard hearted. I am glad for the outcry over Madeleine. I wish there was more outcry for all these children.
I think there's a gospel link to it, too, though I am about to descend into incoherence ! (Well I am ill !)
Jesus died. Loads of people die every day. He was crucified. That's what the Romans did. He died a sacrificial death in the place of others. Lots of people do that.
(I remember one classic early Deeside communion service when I spoke about the heroism of Captain Oates, who said "I am going outside. I may be some time." People said, "Who ?")
Another chap said "three hours, that's all he suffered. Eighteen months my mother suffered." Of course, for Jesus it was more like 33 years suffering, but that's beside the point...
The point of the cross was the pact between the Father and the Son, whereby the Father gave his Son for our guilt. At one and the same time He (the Father) makes His soul (Jesus') an offering for sin and it is His Son with whom He is well pleased.
That's why the cross is unique.
The Father gives his Son.
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