The Passion of the Christ

After watching The Passion of the Christ it struck me. All our suffering is nothing compared to what we should have gone through; it’s nothing compared to what Jesus suffered in our stead. He was betrayed, mocked, beaten, scourged, spat on, hated by the crowd and even deserted by his friends. And He bore the weight of the whole world’s sin on His back. He even experienced complete separation from the Father, the separation we should have undergone, when He cried in agony of spirit and body: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Imagine experiencing so many kinds of suffering all at once.

Of course, through the Bible we know about what Jesus went through. But it’s so different when you see it with your own eyes. In The Passion of the Christ, you see His pain, you see His body so damaged it’s unrecognisable and you see what we deserved. That’s what my heart was screaming out whilst watching the movie: “Jesus, I should have been the one to receive the punishment, not you!” Yet, Jesus took it for us. As He hung upon that cross, His body drenched in His own blood and nails in His hands and feet, He showed us the very face of love. We all go through times in our lives when we doubt God’s love or just don’t feel it and we ask Him to show it to us again. Yet I realised how selfish that prayer actually can be. Jesus showed us love when He died a terrible death for us, what other proof do we need that Jesus loves us more than we can ever imagine? If you ever go through suffering or times when God’s love feel oceans away- believe me I’ve been there many times-look to the cross and remember the sacrifice our Saviour paid for us. He knows what you’re going through and He loves you so much that He gave everything for you.

The Hope of Spring

 There’s something about the changing seasons that causes me to stop and reflect. It’s quite amazing how our surroundings can affect us. On a beautiful, cool spring day, my heart fills with joy and peace.

Spring has finally come to South Africa. There’s something about spring that renews my hope. What was once dead and brown suddenly transforms into something beautiful. New things begin to grow; flowers appear, the grass slowly turns green, leaves adorn the trees in glory once more and the birds sing their melody yet again. And the sweet aroma in the air....I can’t describe it; all I know is that it fills my heart with joy and contentment. But I think if hope had a scent it would smell like spring. It’s on spring days that I can feel God at work around me; making things new and mending what has been broken. It’s the time we notice the amazing Gardener at work.

Spring gives me hope. It shows me that healing is always possible, even after the most severe winter. Spring to me is joy and hope in its physical form. It paints a picture of God planting flowers in our lives and giving us new life; a picture of God bringing beauty out of the ashes. We must never lose heart, for spring always returns, even when it feels like the cold is unending.