I was standing in the newsagency in my local shopping centre, Ashfield Mall. I was doing my best to social distance and I was angry with myself for leaving my protective mask behind.
I was doing something normal, just being myself.
I was right inside my head thinking. A really old dear friend of mine is seriously ill in hospital and I was looking for an appropriate card to send him, one that told him how much I cared. The older I get the more I realise my time on this earth is limited and I better say what I really mean.
In part I suppose, I was also reviewing my life.
So in many ways I was open to incoming influences.
Right on cue the song “What if God was one of us” started playing over the shopping mall sound system.
“What if God was one of us, just a stranger on the bus, trying to make His way home”.
Over this time of COVID I’ve been struggling to keep me and my team and everyone who comes to us for food and help safe. And it’s hard. Here we deal in death all the time and many of the people I work with in England and America are seeing more deaths than anything.
It weighs on me.
“What if God was one of us just a stranger on the bus”.
The music follows me as I go up the travelator to the next floor.
We have all the skills, all the knowledge and all the experience to build a so much better world than we have. We have all that now. God or if you like, nature has given us all of that. We don’t any longer have to be the racist, sexist, divisionist human beings we have been in the past.
We have the ability to outgrow all of that.
The God talk in the Bible is all about signs. We can be signs of a better world. We are signs. We see them everywhere in the loving compassion and gifts of real kindness, we offer one another without reward.
“What if God was one of us, just a stranger on the bus”.
Over time I am learning to not be a stranger to myself and then God cannot feel so alone.
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Love your thoughts Rev. Bill.
We could all do with seeing our God at this time.
So many things in this world going upside down and pear shaped.
Thank you for the song it put another reminder in my mind of how I need to put others first. Hard to do at times but trying my best with this terrible pandemic.
Thought-provoking – as has been said before, we can often be unaware of angels in our midst and we should care for each other as unto Jesus Christ.
Nice one Bill. Just added this to my “Road Trip” playlist. I have observed that so many people are locked into positions on issues, so many people who just don’t have an open mind, these same people who will never even imagine walking in other people’s shoes. If God was one of us he’d have to pull out a few miracles to set this right.
Wonderful Rev Bill Crews!
I guess there is no specific time or place for inspiration. And one doesn’t need to abuse substances for creativity or inspiration.
Just looking for a card in an ordinary mall on an ordinary day can lead to some insights that are worth sharing with others to uplift and comfort them.
Thank you for sharing so generously.
Yes Bill it is very true that if we are sensitive in what we see and hear in our daily lives we than can experience Gods word to us. He speaks to us in many ways.
Thanks again to bring his message to us all.