God’s Love

Men are capable of so much more in Christ than Bible reading and self-control. […]

Sweet friend, don’t let rejection steal one more thing from you. – Lysa
There’s nothing we can do to eliminate the pain of rejection. Oh, how I wish there were. With every fiber of my being, I wish I could remove it from my world and from yours. But I can’t. The only thing I’ve seen work in my life to help my heart heal from these deep wounds is the constant pursuit of the sweetest grace…. Each hole left from rejection must become an opportunity to create more and more space for grace in my heart.
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And yet, there are gifts in rejection. Here are three of those gifts of rejection I’ve embraced:
• The gift of being made less.
When we decrease, God has room to make big things happen. We are reminded of this in John 3:28-31, as John the Baptist is insisting to his followers that he is “not the Anointed One; I am the one who comes before Him… He, the groom, must take center stage; and I, the best man, must step to His side” (The Voice). Imagine what everyone would miss at a wedding if the best man refused to let the groom take his place. The radiant bride only walks down the aisle when she knows her groom is at the end ready to receive her. Then the glorious wedding happens.
When writing on this passage, Eugene Peterson says,
That’s why my cup is running over. This is the assigned moment for Him to move into the center, while I slip off to the sidelines. — John 3:29-30 The Message
In this sideline, set-apart place, God will give you special wisdom you’ll need for the next assignment.
• The gift of being lonely.
This will develop in you a deeper sense of compassion for your fellow travelers.
But in addition to the blessing of compassion being developed in me, those lonely times also seem to be when Jesus lavishes His most intimate compassion on me. Isn’t it interesting that Jesus seemed to speak most intimately to people who were lonely? I doubt His conversation with the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s Well in John 4 would have been the same if she’d been with a group of people. And we see a similar kind of personalized message for the woman caught in adultery in John 8. He didn’t speak to her personally and intimately until the others left.
Both of these women were alone not just physically but emotionally and spiritually. We see them in extremely lonely and humbling situations. We see their aloneness. Then we see Jesus step into their loneliness and lavish His compassion on them, and, certainly with the Samaritan woman, a compassion for the others in her town emerged in her.
This is certainly what happens in my life as well. The conversations I have with the Lord in my loneliness always lead me to more intimacy with Him and more compassion for others. When I ease the loneliness ache in others, it is beautifully eased in me.
• The gift of silence.
Had I been surrounded by the voices of those people I was so eager to meet that night, I would surely have missed the voice of God. I’m trying to weave more silence into the rhythm of my life now, so I can whisper, “God, what might You want to say to me right now? I’m listening.” Ecclesiastes tells us,
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens… a time to be silent and a time to speak. — Ecclesiastes 3:1, Eccelsiastes 3:7
I’ve got to spend time getting quiet so I can be prepared to hear new things from the Lord. Isn’t it a lovely thought that God might be waiting for there to be silence in your life in order to share some of His best secrets with you? It was truly a profound secret from God’s heart to mine when, in the silence, He whispered to my soul, You are not set aside, you are set apart. This statement settled me, changed me, and prepared me to share this same message with you.
I know it can painful to be alone. And I know the thoughts of being set aside are loud and overwhelmingly tempting to believe in the hollows of feeling unnoticed and uninvited. But as you pray through your feelings, see if maybe your situation has more to do with you being prepared than you being overlooked.

There is something wonderfully sacred that happens when a girl chooses to realize that being set aside is actually God’s call for her to be set apart.

Sometimes, though, when God calls us to be set apart for another purpose, it’s difficult to believe God’s goodness in the hurt. Have you ever cried over something so much that you run out of tears? Your swollen eyes just give out and dry up while a current of unrest still gushes through your soul. And you look up toward heaven in utter frustration.
Me too.
Excerpted with permission from Uninvited by Lysa TerKeurst, copyright Lysa TerKeurst.
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Your Turn
Have you received those excruciating but invaluable gifts? Lessening, loneliness, silence? If you’re suspicious of God, take it to Him. He is waiting to comfort and bless you! And all God’s girls say, “Hallelujah!” ~ Laurie McClure, Faith.Full […]

We don’t know her name, but we know her situation. Her world was midnight black. Grope-in-the-dark-and-hope-for-help black. Read these three verses and see what I mean:
A large crowd followed Jesus and pushed very close around Him. Among them was a woman who had been bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered very much from many doctors and had spent all the money she had, but instead of improving, she was getting worse. — Mark 5:24-26 NCV
She was a bruised reed: “bleeding for twelve years,” “suffered very much,” “spent all the money she had,” and “getting worse.” She was physically exhausted and socially ostracized. She awoke daily in a body that no one wanted. She was down to her last prayer. And on the day we encounter her, she’s about to pray it.
Perhaps you have felt this way. You’ve been sick for days, weeks, years. Doctors, specialists, tests — no one seems to know the cure, and you are tired. You are tired of being sick, but most of all you are tired of hoping. Each day you hope and pray today will be better than the last, and each day you are disappointed.
How do you continue to believe you will be healed? How do you continue to believe that God cares?
By the time the woman in our story gets to Jesus, He is surrounded by people. He’s on His way to help the daughter of Jairus, one of the most important men in the community. What are the odds that He will interrupt an urgent mission with a high official to help the likes of her? Still, she takes a chance.
If I can just touch His clothes, she thinks, I will be healed. — Mark 5:28 NCV
It was her last hope, her last resort. Her last-ditch effort in a long series of efforts to be made well, and it all depended on this man they were calling a prophet. It all depended on Jesus. Risky decision. To touch Him she will have to touch the people. If one of them recognizes her, hello rebuke, goodbye cure. But what choice does she have? She has no money, no clout, no friends, no solutions. All she has is a crazy hunch that Jesus can help and a final hope that He will.
Maybe that’s all you have: a crazy hunch and a little bit of hope. You have nothing to give. But you are hurting. And all you have to offer Him is your hurt.
Maybe that has kept you from coming to God. Oh, you’ve taken a step or two in His direction. But then you saw the other people around Him. They seemed so clean, so neat, so trim and fit in their faith. And when you saw them, they blocked your view of Him. So you stepped back.
If that describes you, note carefully that only one person was commended that day for having faith. It wasn’t a wealthy giver. It wasn’t a loyal follower. It was a shame-struck, penniless outcast who clutched on to her hunch that He could help and her hope that He would.
Which, by the way, isn’t a bad definition of faith: a conviction that He can and a hope that He will. Sounds similar to the definition of faith given in the Bible:
Without faith no one can please God. Anyone who comes to God must believe that He is real and that He rewards those who truly want to find Him. — Hebrews 11:6 NCV
A healthy woman never would have appreciated the power of a touch of the hem of His robe. But this woman was sick, and when her dilemma met His dedication, a miracle occurred. Her part in the healing was very small. All she did was extend her arm through the crowd.
“If only I can touch Him.”
What’s important is not the form of the effort but the fact of the effort. The fact is, she did something. She refused to settle for sickness another day and resolved to make a move.
Healing begins when we do something. Healing begins when we reach out. Healing starts when we take a step of faith.
God’s help is near and always available, but it is given only to those who seek it. The great work in this story is the mighty healing that occurred. But the great truth is that the healing began with her touch. And with that small, courageous gesture, she experienced Jesus’ tender power.
Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, ‘Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well.’ And the woman was made well from that hour. — Matthew 9:22
If you are low on faith but need the healing power of Christ, perhaps you could rely on the faith of a friend. This is the type of faith Jesus witnessed when he saw a man being lowered through a hole in the roof where Jesus was teaching one day (Mark 2:1-12).
Whether he was born paralyzed or became paralyzed, we don’t know, but the end result was the same: total dependence on others. Perhaps someone had to wash his face and bathe his body. He couldn’t go on a walk or run an errand on his own.
When people looked at him, they didn’t see the man; they saw a body in need of a miracle. That’s not what Jesus saw, but that’s what the people saw. And that’s certainly what his friends saw. So they did what any of us would do for a friend. They tried to get him some help.
Word was out that a carpenter-turned-teacher-turned-wonder-worker was in town. By the time his friends arrived at the place, the house was full. People jammed the doorways. Kids sat in the windows. Others peeked over shoulders. How would this small band of friends ever attract Jesus’ attention?
They had to make a choice: do we go in or give up?
What would have happened had the friends given up faith? What if they had shrugged their shoulders and mumbled something about the crowd being big and dinner getting cold and had turned and left? After all, they had done a good deed in coming this far. Who could fault them for turning back? You can do only so much for somebody. But these friends hadn’t done enough.
One said he had an idea. The four huddled over the paralytic and discussed the plan to climb to the top of the house, cut through the roof, and lower their friend down with their sashes.
It was risky — they could fall. It was dangerous — he could fall. It was unorthodox — de-roofing is antisocial. It was intrusive — Jesus was busy. But it was their only chance to see Jesus. So they climbed to the roof.
Faith does those things. Faith does the unexpected. And faith gets God’s attention. Look what Mark says:
When Jesus saw the faith of these people, He said to the paralyzed man, ‘Young man, your sins are forgiven’. — Mark 2:5 NCV
Finally, someone took Jesus at his word! Four men had enough hope in Him and love for their friend that they took a chance. The stretcher above was a sign from above — somebody believed! Someone was willing to risk embarrassment and injury for just a few moments with the Galilean.
Jesus was moved by the scene of faith.
The request of the friends was valid — but timid. The expectations of the crowd were high — but not high enough. They expected Jesus to say, “I heal you.” Instead He said, “I forgive you.”
They expected Him to treat the body, for that is what they saw.
He chose to treat not only the body but also the spirit, for that is what He saw.
They wanted Jesus to give the man a new body so he could walk. Jesus gave grace so the man could live.
And they were all amazed, and they glorified God. — Luke 5:26
Two pictures of miracle-prompting faith: A woman who reached out. Friends who drew near. Jesus responded both times. He did the impossible for them. He will do the same for you. And you know what the best news is? Jesus heals the body, but He also heals the soul. He sees you as more than just an ailing body. He sees that your heart, mind, and soul need healing too. He offers more than you ask because He knows exactly what you need. Come to Him, have faith, and He will make you well.
God, I know that you are my healer. You are the miracle worker. You can heal every sickness and disease. You can raise the dead to life. I confess it is easier for me to believe You can heal others than it is to believe You will heal me. It makes me feel vulnerable to trust You with my sickness and brokenness. I don’t want to get my hopes up and then be disappointed. At the same time, I don’t want to lose hope. Help me believe in Your healing powers. Strengthen my faith in you, Your power to heal me, and your love for me. Give me the courage to reach out to friends and family for help. May I encounter the healing powers of my Lord Jesus. May I believe again. Lord, make me well. In Christ I pray, amen.
Excerpted with permission from God Will Help You by Max Lucado with Andrea Lucado, copyright Max Lucado.
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Your Turn
What needs healing in your life right now? What has been the most difficult part of this sickness or brokenness? Have you ever felt desperate for healing? Has your community ever helped you during a time of need? Our faith makes us well, whether that is in our bodies or our spirits. Faith is hope. […]

How do we teach our children about the Trinity?
The Trinity is mysterious, of course, to us adults. God is infinite. We can never fully understand him or get to the bottom of his mysteries. Moreover, God is unique. He alone is the Creator. He alone is not dependent on the world or anything in it. Nothing within the created world serves as a complete model or analogy for him.
One of the things that we can say to our children is just this. There is no one like God. Nothing in creation gives us a complete picture of who God is. Jesus is a complete picture of God (John 14:9; Colossians 2:9). But though we can know him truly, we do not know him completely. He is God and is infinitely deep.
Should We Use Analogies?
Since nothing within the world is a full model for the Trinity, we must be cautious about using analogies. Analogies are never perfectly transparent models for the Trinity. Some people have used a triangle to represent the Trinity. A triangle is one triangle with three sides. But that is not an adequate analogy. Each side is a part of the triangle. But God does not have parts.
The Father is not a part of God, but God himself. Likewise, the Son is not a part of God, but God (John 1:1). This inadequacy highlights the fact that, if we are going to teach our children about the Trinity, we should first learn about the Trinity ourselves, and not make mistakes when we explain it. It does not mean that we cannot use a triangle as an example. But if we use it, we should tell our children that it does not actually represent God well.

“The Trinity will always be mysterious. But we can teach it to our children because God teaches it in the Bible.”

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Similarly, some people have used the example of water. Water has three states, solid (ice), liquid, and gaseous (water vapor). But this analogy is also inadequate. It is not the case that God merely appears in three forms, one after another. Rather, God is Father, Son, and Spirit always, even before he appears to us.
As we already noted, this is mysterious. We can never dissolve this mystery into a transparent representation of God.
Rely on Divine Instruction
So, what do we do? We can use what the Bible itself gives us. Some parents may feel a burden to make up creative ways to communicate God to their children. But thankfully, we have the Bible. God has spoken to us. He has told us about himself. He has told us that he is one God and three persons — the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Bible gives us clear and true communication about God.
There are several places in Scripture that directly present us with all three persons of the Trinity. Consider baptism, for example — both Christ’s and ours. Of Jesus’s baptism, Matthew writes,

When Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:16–17)

The voice from heaven is the voice of the Father. The Son is baptized. The Holy Spirit is “descending like a dove.” The unity of one God is not so immediately visible in this passage. But the passage describes one stage in the series of acts by which God — the one God — accomplished salvation for his people.
The Trinity is also manifest in the one name that we are baptized into: “make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19). There is one “name,” underlining the unity of God. The name is tied to each of the three persons.
Other Sightings
We see other explicit mentions of the Trinity outside of baptism. For example, God’s work of salvation, when applied to the individual believer, involves all three persons in a united work.

When the Helper comes, whom I [Jesus] will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. (John 15:26)

The giving of the Spirit to the church involves all three persons.

Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he [Jesus] has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. (Acts 2:33)

The resurrection of Jesus involved all three persons of the Trinity.

If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. (Romans 8:11)

As we open the Bible with our children, we should not neglect to pray for them, that God would teach them about himself through his word and through the Holy Spirit. It is impossible for any human being to truly understand spiritual things apart from the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:14–16).
Immersed in the Trinity
Outside of explicit texts, we also see broader patterns in the Bible. Preeminently, it is the Father who speaks. But the Father speaks the Word, according to John 1:1. This pattern is the background when God speaks to us in the Bible. The Holy Spirit is like the breath of God (Ezekiel 37:10, 14). The Holy Spirit also dwells in us and enables us to understand (1 Corinthians 2:14–16). We can tell our children that this process is going on when they read the Bible or hear it read.
Prayer involves all three persons of the Trinity. We pray preeminently to God the Father (Matthew 6:9). Jesus intercedes for us, making our prayers acceptable (Hebrews 7:25). The Holy Spirit dwells within us and empowers our prayers (Romans 8:26). We can tell our children that this process is going on when we pray.
Adoption to become God’s sons involves all three persons of the Trinity. God is our Father, to whom we relate as sons. Jesus is our elder brother (Romans 8:29). He is the eternal Son, and we have the privilege of being sons only because he is the Son first (Galatians 4:4–5). The Holy Spirit dwells within us, teaching us to cry, “Abba! Father!” (Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:6). […]

Kieran Rigby has been appointed as chair of RightIndem, replacing Amanda Blanc who stepped down last year after being appointed group chief executive of Aviva.
Rigby who was previously global president of Crawford Claims Solutions.
Meanwhile, Rob Wirszycz, who has served as non-executive director and interim chair since Blanc’s departure, will become vice chairman with responsibility for investor relations.
Oliver McGuinness, chief executive, said: “[Rigby’s] vast experience, knowledge and global claims insight will be pivotal as we continue on our growth journey”.
It follows Blanc being appointed as Aviva’s group chief executive in July last year, succeeding Maurice Tulloch.
Game-changer

Rigby’s career in loss adjusting and claims management spans 35 years. The former global president of Crawford’s Claims Solutions has been part of the Crawford and Company family since 2014 originally joining loss adjustor GAB Robins UK Ltd as its chief executive and co-owner.
This firm was later acquired by Crawford’s. Meanwhile in the interim, Rigby served as chief executive of Crawford Europe and Latin America.
Later in 2017, he was promoted to president, international overseeing all operations outside US.
Rigby said: “I am delighted to be joining the RightIndem board. The team have created a game-changer for claims, leveraging digital claims reporting to facilitate supply chain orchestration and straight through processing which is pivotal to the future of claims.
“In the wake of the current pandemic, carriers, MGA’s and brokers are seeking to digitally accelerate their claims and RightIndem is perfectly placed to support that. I look forward to helping guide the business to the next stage of its growth.” […]

Vice President Mike Pence made an unscheduled stop to address Franklin Graham’s Prayer March on 26 September 2020(Photo: Samaritan’s Purse)
Vice President Mike Pence drew wisdom from the Bible in his decision not to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove Trump after last week’s attack on the Capitol.
In a letter to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi explaining his decision, he suggested that invoking the 25th Amendment would only cause further divisions and undermine the healing of the nation. 
“After the horrific events of last week, our Administration’s energy is directed to ensuring an orderly transition,” he wrote.
“The Bible says that ‘for everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven … a time to heal, … and a time to build up.’
“That time is now. In the midst of a global pandemic, economic hardship for millions of Americans, and the tragic events of January 6, now is the time for us to come together, now is the time to heal.”
Pence was under pressure to invoke the 25th Amendment after Trump supporters stormed the Capitol building last week. 
The 25th Amendment permits the removal of the president from office if the vice president and a majority of the Cabinet deem him to be “unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office.”
Following Pence’s refusal to do so, the House voted last night to impeach Trump, making him the only president in US history to be impeached twice. 
Some Republicans supported the measure, but Iowa Rep Ashley Hinson was among those voting against it. 
In a statement on her vote against, she shared similar sentiments to Pence. 
“I believe the President bears responsibility and that is why I urged him personally to call off those who were violently storming the Capitol last week,” she said.
“I wish he had spoken up sooner, but he did not. Words matter; there must be accountability for those who feed into the dangerous rhetoric on either side of the ideological spectrum.”
She continued: “Impeachment is the wrong path forward for several reasons. Speaker Pelosi is bypassing regular order – including the process of collecting evidence, conducting committee hearings, and having preliminary votes – to rush toward a second impeachment of President Trump.
“Just a week out from a new Administration, impeachment will only serve to feed the flames and further divide our nation.” […]

The US Supreme Court building in seen in Washington, DC.Reuters
The Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) has welcomed a ruling from the US Supreme Court requiring women to collect abortion drugs from a hospital or doctor. 
The Supreme Court voted 6-3 in favour of upholding the regulation after abortion campaigners argued that it put women at risk due to the threat of coronavirus. 
SPUC said that keeping the requirement offers some safeguards for women having an abortion at home. 
It is now calling on the UK, which permits abortion pills to be sent to women in the mail, to follow suit and tighten regulations around at-home abortions. 
Michael Robinson, SPUC Director of Communications said: “Policies allowing DIY at home chemical abortion are bad, but at least a stipulation that a woman must see a doctor in the flesh provides some safeguards for women, especially vulnerable women.
READ MORE: A lifeline for women considering abortion
“We welcome this Supreme Court decision which protects women and we urge the UK government to reverse its dangerous DIY abortion policy.”
The UK Government relaxed abortion rules after the start of the first lockdown last year so that women could take both abortion pills at home up to the tenth week of their pregnancy.
The pills can be sent to women in the post after a consultation with a doctor over the phone or by video. 
But SPUC and other pro-life groups have warned that the system puts vulnerable women at risk of coercion and is wide open to abuse. 
“With the whole chemical abortion process being done remotely, the abortion provider has no way of knowing who is really on the other end of the phone; if she is being coerced into an abortion, or if the abuser is in the room with her,” Mr Robinson said.
“There is no way of knowing the gestation of a woman’s pregnancy over the phone, which is crucial as the drugs are only supposed to be used up to 10 weeks. There is no way of knowing if she is following the medical protocols when taking the drugs, or if she’ll be able to seek medical help if anything goes wrong.
“SPUC supports the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold this regulation and we urge the UK government to reverse its dangerous DIY home abortion policy which is endangering women across the country.” […]

(Photo: Unsplash/Chattersnap)
Although it is the heart of winter, the Jewish calendar has now entered the month of Shvat, the month of Redemption. And this is the time we read the Book of Exodus, when G-d chooses the Jewish people to become His partners in saving the world.
Whereas the Book of Genesis was all about Creation and the forming of individuals – in Exodus the Jewish individuals which have become G-d’s chosen family slowly develop into a nation, a nation which will be become pioneers in more ways than one.
As I write, my daughter has sent a photo by WhatsApp of being inoculated against Covid in Israel. And a photo of my son-in-law who has also now been inoculated by another of the four Israeli health insurance companies.
The importance of gleaning, which Judaism taught the world through the Book of Ruth, has also not been forgotten in Israel. Anyone who queues up at the inoculation centres can get a dose – because throwing life-saving medicines away is not only a sin in Judaism, it is also a crime. And in fact, nurses have run out into the streets in order to find passers-by to offer the jabs to at the end of the day.
What turned a rag-tag of miserable slaves, many the children and grandchildren of Holocaust survivors, into the nation that in the face of death always opted for life? To such an extent that they are being regarded today as the world’s ‘guinea-pigs’. What other group of people would be willing to test the efficacy of unknown vaccines, thereby doing the world an incredible favour – because who knows the repercussions of such advances in medicine?
However, in order to become the pioneering nation par excellence, the Jewish people had to undergo the miserable existence of slavery under Pharaoh – made all the worse because to start with Pharaoh ‘knew’ them. This means that their contribution to Egyptian society had been recognized by Pharaoh, and only then, when Pharaoh was doing well, did he get rid of the Jews as being surplus to requirements.
Pharaoh is the name not only for tyrants of empires with us no longer, but also for governments everywhere who simply get rid of their Jews when they are no longer required – the first being Edward I in England. In 1290, he made sure that the Jewish community were drowned in the Wash, after bleeding them dry with his wars in Scotland and Wales. And yet Edward is known as a good and very effective king.
To return to our initial prototype biblical Pharaoh, he no longer ‘knows’ the Jewish people, he pretends they don’t exist. And to prove his contempt, he degrades them through humiliating and useless labours contrived to make no sense at all – exactly like Hitler who coined the phrase: ‘Arbeit Macht Frei’.
Everyone knows that slavery never liberates. On the contrary, slavery leads to negative habits, and often to suicide. So, by bringing the new Jewish nation, known as ‘the children of Israel’, out of Egypt – G-d is testing their desire to be pioneers. And often there is backsliding and yearning for the comforts of past slavery. Even though they know that the Promised Land of Israel is in sight, the Jewish people never stop squabbling and complaining – and some even challenge Moses’ leadership.
And during the time of these stories of the 10 Plagues and the journey through the Reed Sea, with Pharaoh changing his mind yet again and chasing after the slaves he has just ‘let go’; their seemingly never-ending trek through the Wilderness and the epiphany at Sinai, site of the 613 commandments, when G-d appears to every man, woman and child, why do we suddenly celebrate in two weeks’ time the important Festival of Tu B’Shvat, New Year for Trees?
Judaism is a religion of many parts: linear, cyclical, environmental, historical, spiritual and seasonal (just to name but a few). But with the Exodus stories starting in the heart of winter and morphing into the first signs of spring, what exactly do we celebrate at this time with Tu B’Shvat?
We celebrate the first appearance of the first almond, known in Hebrew as sh-k-d, an anagram for ‘holiness’ and also conveying the idea of watchfulness, with a connection to Jeremiah 1:11-12, where the tiny ‘almond’ becomes a ‘watch-word’.
Here is Rashi’s commentary on the ‘almond’ verse, which he wrote in northern France in around 1066, when fellow-Frenchmen were invading England and taking it over at the Battle of Hastings.
The almond is generally regarded as one of the most health-giving foods in existence – and one of its traits is that it is quite hard to crack, starts off with a bitter taste and then becomes sweeter as you get used to it.
This present Covid situation, which first started to be taken seriously in this country around Pesach (Passover) of last year, has everything to do with Exodus and almonds.
As early as Tu Bshvat last year, Israel started to make very difficult decisions in order to combat the oncoming plague. For instance, the spring Purim carnival, much loved by children, was cancelled. It is not yet known whether it will go ahead this year.
The month between Tu B’Shvat and Purim will be a seminal period when decisions will have to be made. Meanwhile all schools are still shut over there.
However, with people under 50 now being inoculated in Israel, it may be that the vast majority of adults will be inoculated by the end of February, just when Purim takes place, a month before Pesach (Passover).
So, during this festive time of plagues tempered with almonds and slavery tempered by liberation, who knows what the outcome will be. The only way forward is eternal vigilance – which has been the watchword of the Jewish people for 4,000 years.
Dr Irene Lancaster is a Jewish academic, author and translator who has established university courses on Jewish history, Jewish studies and the Hebrew Bible. She trained as a teacher in modern Languages and Religious Education. […]

(Photo: Unsplash/Michael Marais)
Churches in Scotland have joined other faiths in encouraging people to get vaccinated against Covid-19.
They are among the signatories of a joint letter by Scottish faith leaders voicing support for the Government vaccination programme aiming to innoculate up to 400,000 people across Scotland against coronavirus by the end of February. 
“We faith leaders in Scotland understand the difficulty that our communities are facing during this pandemic,” the letter reads.
“We urge all faith communities to take measures that will ensure their safety and the safety of others.
“Furthermore, we support the Covid-19 vaccination programme across the community and we encourage people to be vaccinated so that they keep themselves and their neighbours safe.”
The letter has been signed by Rev Dr George Whyte, Principal Clerk of the Church of Scotland General Assembly, Bishop Hugh Gilbert, President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Scotland, the Most Rev Mark Strange, Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, Dr Muhammad Rafiq Habib, Convenor of the Muslim Council of Scotland, and Rabbi Moshe Rubin, Senior Rabbi Of Scotland, among others.
While churches in Scotland have been forced to close for public worship during the latest national lockdown, Dr Whyte said they were still playing a vital role in the community, with a number of church buildings opening up across the country as vaccination centres. 
They include Morningside Parish Church, Edinburgh, and Dunfermline East Church, in Fife.
Scottish Catholic leaders have strongly opposed the suspension of public worship, while the Church of Scotland has been supportive of the measure. 
Dr Whyte said: “The Church of Scotland is working with the Scottish Government to ensure that local churches continue to be part of the effort to suppress the coronavirus outbreak by following the advice to stay at home as much as possible.
“We fully accept that the latest pandemic restrictions mean that we have to close churches again for the time being.
“While recognising that communal worship is an essential element of our faith, we also know that the Church remains present and active in our local communities even while buildings are closed.
“We will continue to work with the Scottish Government to ensure that reopening churches will happen as soon as it can be done safely.
“In the meantime, we are encouraged by the many church congregations across Scotland who are offering essential support -both spiritual and practical – to their local communities.”  […]