Over the summer I had the privilege of reading the ‘The boy in the Striped Pyjamas’.  The author, John Boyne, does not give a description of the book on cover but rather states “If you do start to read this book, you will go on a journey with a nine-year-old boy called Bruno. (Though this isn’t a book for nine-year-olds.) And sooner or later you will arrive with Bruno at a fence…Fences like this exist all over the world. We hope you never have to cross such a fence.”

As I read this comment I was hit with an uncomfortable realisation,  that I…and dare I say we, can all live with fences…fences that act as a divide between us and others…fences that cause us to judge others to see them on the wrong side of the fence…fences that cause us judge ourselves and deem ourselves to be on the wrong side of the fence.

John Boyne is right that fences do exist all around the world I guess what has made me uncomfortable is the thought that maybe they exist more than I would like in my world.

I guess I have been left thinking it is time to see some fences removed…but how?

Maybe the fences we put up point to an ultimate fence, that in dealing with that we can then see the others removed.

At the heart of the Christian faith is the reality that an ultimate fence is there between us and God, a fence that causes us to be unable to know God, to know His love, acceptance and peace.  The tragedy is we can do nothing to remove this fence, however God out of His love for us sent Jesus to the earth to live, die and be resurrected to destroy the fence in order that we can know God’s love, acceptance and peace.

Jesus has removed the ultimate fence in order that we can live without fences…in order that we can show others the acceptance, love and peace that we have found and point them to it.

The question is do we know that this ultimate fence has been removed? If yes, are we then ensuring that we are not still living with fences for ourselves or others?

I know for me I am enjoying living more and more fence free!

Seize the day…seize today.

There can be a danger that we live either for the future (which I know I can do) or continuously in our past that we forget today. That today is to be lived, enjoyed and to be thankful for.

There is a need to stop….

…to breath…

…to think we will never have this day again…to seize today!

This is an attitude that Paul one of the writer’s in the Bible commends when he states ‘make the most of every opportunity’.  But how?

Seize today…

…to forgive

…to be forgiven

…to show kindness

…to be thankful for what you have

…to know hope. Robin William’s character states that we are destined to die but that that is it. The faith I know in Jesus promises something different a hope for the future and for the now. A hope that gives security, peace, value and love. May be for some of us we need to remind ourselves of this, maybe for others of us we need to seize today to discover whether we could know this hope and love.

Seize today…

Each movie will be given a 5min intro and there will be time given at the end for discussion (for those who want to join in).

We will be starting at 6.30pm each week.

1st August:

15th August:

22nd August:

2010-7-18 living stories – Foundations Adrian Hurst

George Cadbury realised that his faith in God meant he was here to make a difference which he did through housing, employing, feeding and educating…he brought hope!

A hope that I still get to enjoy and be challenged by.

I know that faith in Jesus changes anyone, as it gives us a true sense of security, value, peace and hope…but the deal is is it doesn’t end there as it then causes me and others to then reveal, point to and cause others to know the same.

I am left wondering what Birmingham would like if I and others became a lot more like George Cadbury and allowed our faith to impact the city?

I am left wondering where the entrepreneurs like George Cadbury are? (and am I doing enough to encourage them)

On a day when the Birmingham Post warns there are a predicted 13,000 jobs to be lost in Birmingham I am left thinking surely if there was ever a time to reveal security, value, peace and hope…it is now!