The perspective of persistence
A little later this morning I shall be preaching from Luke’s Gospel, chapter 15 v. 1 – 10. In those verses Jesus, who has been accused of mixing with the wrong kind of people, joyfully accepts the charge. In fact, he goes on to say that mixing with the wrong kind of people is exactly the right thing to do. Seeking the lost, and bringing them home like a little lamb or a lost coin, makes heaven itself quiver with joy.
Obvious though it might sound – to find that which is lost you have to go looking. The shepherd did not put up posters to invite his little lamb home. The woman whose coin was lost did not post an update online saying ‘looking for money’. In both instances the looking was persistent, prolonged and costly. The Christian church is true to her calling only when she remembers her role as God’s lost and found agency. We seek that which is lost, and in doing so we allow ourselves to be found.
It is almost two years now since I last wrote about the provocative and playful work of street artist Slinkachu. Slinkachu creates pieces of installation art involving miniature figures, sets them in a landscape which dwarfs them…and then leaves them. Recently he has been working with the War Child charity to alert people to the impact of war on the lives of children. Look carefully at the image below to see if you can find the ‘lost’ child’. Give up? In that case – click on the image and you will see.
Image:http://little-people.blogspot.co.uk
Dear God, keep us looking today…
