Movement of Love

I really like the idea of this group : since the Brexit referendum debate and aftermath there has been an upsurge of race hatred and distrust of the Political class as a whole. What we need is people who are able to stand up and "stand in the gap" and declare a message of love and reconciliation.

 Jesus himself was a stranger and refugee in the land of Egypt. He was maltreated as a political extremist, and eventually executed because he spoke a message of love and turning back to God , pointing to Himself as the only way to reach the kingdom of  His heavenly Father. If we exclude the other we will be excluding Jesus from our lives and experience.

The idea of Standing in the gap comes from Ezekiel 22 ; 30And I sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the breach before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none. 31 therefore I have poured out my indignation upon them. I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath. I have returned their way upon their heads, declares the Lord GOD.” ESV

You can find a fuller explanation here 

Basically it is someone who will stand up on behalf of the poor, the widow and the oppressed and pray for righteousness, reconciliation and sacrificial love for "the other" whoever they may be. 

There is a basic human trait which tends to distrust or hate anyone who is outside their recognised community group excluding and persecuting anyone who is considered an outsider. This is exploited by any slightly dodgy political group to gain influence. The Nazis and the Jews par excellence but in many other instances such as the Rwandan Genocide. 

This idea of breaking out from the citidel of fear and hate with which we surround ourselves to protect us from the imagined danger of the other and instead reaching out in embrace is fully explained in a book by Miroslav Volf called "Exclusion and Embrace" Abingdon press 1996 ( you can find a precis by Googling: Exclusion and Embrace: Reconciliation in the Works of Miroslav Volf Corneliu Constantineanu)
So how are we able to break out from the prison of fear in which we have incarcerated ourselves?
That prison wall which is separating us from the joy of giving and receiving love from every one of our fellow neighbours either friend or stranger. Humanly it is practically impossible to do this by our own efforts but only through the work of the Holy Spirit of the Triune God of love working in our lives

1 John 4:18 says" There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love."

Would you like to join in a prayer with me to take hold of the hand of Jesus and breakout of our prison of fear, anger and self concern and step out to embrace the world of Sacrificial love embodied in the life, death and glorious resurrection of Jesus Christ. in so doing stand in the gap which separates us from those who are in desperate need of love.