"We who weep come to you, Lord,
because you always share our sorrow.
We who suffer come to you, knowing that you cure.
We who are afraid come to you, because you smile on us.
We share in your life because you share ours
and so we know, God of love,
that 'to love another person is, indeed, to touch your face'.
May we live in your love forever.
Amen."
This week I've been away talking in London and Chelmsford about the sanctity of human life. Something I profoundly believe is that not only did God mysteriously and wonderfully create life, but also in the incarnation God made it sacred (John 1.14 - "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us... full of glory"). With Western eyes, we tend to think this means He became a perfect physical specimen, but in fact St John tells us His glory is revealed only on the cross, in that battered, helpless and all too mortal body suffering to the very end. That should make us radically redefine our view of "dignity".
This week I've been away talking in London and Chelmsford about the sanctity of human life. Something I profoundly believe is that not only did God mysteriously and wonderfully create life, but also in the incarnation God made it sacred (John 1.14 - "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us... full of glory"). With Western eyes, we tend to think this means He became a perfect physical specimen, but in fact St John tells us His glory is revealed only on the cross, in that battered, helpless and all too mortal body suffering to the very end. That should make us radically redefine our view of "dignity".
