| October 15, 2020 Good afternoon, When we look back in 2030 to 2020, what will our memories be ? Memory is an interesting thing. Two people experiencing the same event can remember differently. I think spouses do this all the time. Police are aware that eyewitness testimony is often contradictory and not reliable. Do people see what they want to see ? It is not that people are lying, but we see different things, especially if there is trauma related to it. In the Bible, we have four Gospels. They all say that they are telling the story of Jesus of Nazareth, so that we might come to believe. So, the writers are biased, and they tell their story of Jesus in a certain way. One of my favourite stories is Jesus getting anointed by a woman. All four writers tell the story. Luke tells us that it happened in Galilee ( at Simons the Pharisee’s house ). The other three tell that it happened near the time of Jesus’ death, close to Jerusalem. Matthew and Mark do not name the woman, but she does anoint Jesus’ head. In John, the woman is named. She is Mary, the sister to Lazarus and Martha. She anoints Jesus’ feet. Are there four anointings or is there only one ? And did the writers receive different angles of the story from their sources ? For this story, I do not think the meaning is changed, even if the items are not all the same. Jesus stands up for the woman in all four stories. What other meanings do you see in the woman’s action or Jesus’ reaction to it ? So, back to the pandemic. Will we talk about not having church for months ? Will you keep one of your masks to show your family ? Will you remember, ” wear a mask, keep six feet away and wash your hands ” ? Will you never forget the day that you get the vaccine for COVID 19? What will you remember ? Will we remember the COVID that we had to take ? Will we have different stories to tell ? Prayers of God’s People – remember to ask God for strength for Pete and Frieda Schellenbeger, as Peter lives through chemotherapy – remember to ask God for strength for Vernon Brenneman as he continues with chemo. – remember to ask God for wisdom for Don Gerber as he decides what level of treatment he will take. AMEN. Fred Redekop  |
