The City Hall - Belfast??



The picture above is of our own city hall. It is January and it is was almost 30C, and there isn't a cloud in the sky. Needless to say that it is not actually in Belfast, the city hall in Durban South Africa is a replica of our own, palm trees and all.

As I heard of this and saw the picture for the first time. I thought of the political miracle of South Africa and how our own land needs a similar visit of God. Yes, there are many differences between the situation there and our own peculiar troubles but under that city hall I caught a glimpse of hope that an irretrievable situation could move forward towards transformation and change.

What screamed at me was the vision and sacrifice of FW De Klerk the President who released Nelson Mandela, ended apartheid and give over 80% of his people the right to vote. In the 50's this man had said that never would the blacks have a say in his countries politics and now here he was the man who shook the hand of Mandela and wished him well as the first black President.

Vision. Without it the people perish. De Klerk realised that he needed to look down the road, not just maintain today but ask questions of the future. What would it be like if he didn't change things. How would the world be for his children's children? That vision led to sacrifice, humility, repentance and a change that cost him power, comfort and security. But without a vision his people would have perished. And vision leads to action.

God had a vision of change, transformation and a Kingdom coming that would bring His will on earth as it is in heaven. He looked ahead from Eden, from Egypt, from Babylon, from wherever his people are lost and he acted on His vision so that the people would not perish but have everlasting life. There is no comfort or security or power or rights in the Gospel story. Jesus sacrificed them all for the good of others.

So what of us? In our homes, communities, Churches and nation. Do we live to maintain today? Are we living without a vision of tomorrow? Are our people in the precarious danger of perishing.

May we live out our lives as people of vision. People fired by the vision of God who told us we would dream dreams and see visions, who told us that without that the people would perish. Who told us whosoever believed in His Son, Jesus Christ, would not perish but have everlasting life.

As you live for your children and community and Church and nation, may you be prepared to sacrifice for the good of others.



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