Daily Reading: 21 May

(from www.christianaid.org.uk)

Take time to stop and think.

Something to read

He [Jesus] said, ‘Where have you laid him?’ They said to him, ‘Lord, come and see.’ Jesus began to weep. So the Jews said, ‘See how he loved him!’ But some of them said, ‘Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?’ Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it.

- John 11, 34-38 New Revised Standard Version. http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=john%2011&version=KJV

Something to think about

The Jews believed that the soul left the body after four days, and Jesus waited until this time had passed to go to Lazarus – now, it really was too late, surely.

Martha and Mary, and now the Jews, questioned what Jesus was doing – surely he could have kept Lazarus from dying. He had already carried out some miraculous cures, including making a blind man see.

But by waiting until the moment was just right, despite how hurtful it must have seemed, he was able to use the death of his friend as a symbol of what he offers to all of us – the opportunity of a new life.

Waiting until the moment is right is really hard. It’s easy to jump in too quickly, especially when we are trying to help, or wanting to sort things out for someone, but that doesn’t always work out for the best.

Something to do

Next time you get into a situation where you really want to help, stop for a moment and take a breath. Take time to think, and time to pray. It doesn’t mean that you’re not going to act, it just means that you are going to act with thought.

Something to pray

Help me to know when the time is right, and to know how I should act. Give me your words and your actions.

Today's contributor is Suzanne Elvidge, a writer who specialises in healthcare, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, technology, business and ecological issues.