大象传媒

Good morning.听 This week, in Prayer for the Day, I've been speaking about a number of people I know who live in different parts of the world.

In Asia there was Aashira the beautiful dancer who had been abandoned as a baby but who found a home in an orphanage.听 And Thilaka who developed from subsistence farmer to running her own business.听 From the continent of Africa there was Jacques the translator helping a community read scripture in their own language and George the builder with vision.听 In the UK I thought about Jane who runs a centre for homeless and vulnerable people near me.

They all have one thing in common; all of them have had their lives transformed by gifts from people they don't know.听 Now they, in their turn, are bringing life to others.听 In every case, it's only taken a relatively small amount of money to change a life.听

Sometimes we're reluctant to give money away, aren't we?听 It just seems crazy to take hard-earned cash and give it to someone we'll never meet or a project we'll never visit.

And crazy it is.听 It seems so counter-cultural but it's a madness which Christians believe is at the very heart of God.听 In an age which appears to be dominated by putting myself and my family first, the key to being fully alive is found to be in giving freely and generously whether it's time or money.听 No wonder it says somewhere in the Bible that "God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom"!
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Comic Relief?听 I should say so!

Loving God, help us to appreciate your generosity and to reflect it in our giving today.听 We pray for people we support.听 Help them to prosper and so express your intention for their lives.听听 Amen.