Every picture tells a story!

Every picture tells a story - but is every story told by a picture honest and dependable?

A few days ago, a photograph appeared on most, if not all, of the MSM. It was the body of a small child, named as Aylan Kurdi, lying on a beach at the edge of the water. The child was, we were informed, drowned - the tragic result of a rubber dinghy, full of refugees, having 'flipped over' in the sea. The apparently distraught father claimed that his wife and other son had also drowned. They were, he claimed, escaping from the war in Syria. The picture was likened to that of the young girl, running naked along a road in Vietnam, having been (if I recall correctly), the victim of a napalm bombing. That picture has often been credited with having brought about the end of the involvement of the USoA in Vietnam.

I was one of those who was criticised, by dear fellow-disciples of Jesus, for not responding with the demand that the UK take in more refugees.  I was, effectively, accused of lacking compassion.  It appeared that I am a poor advert for Jesus.  My basic response was that compassion sometimes needs to be tempered with discernment.

Later reports would seem to suggest that I was correct!   People have looked again at the picture - and come to the reasonable conclusion that it was all carefully staged (not that I am suggesting that the Vietnamese picture was likewise!).  It has been pointed out that, if that little body had been washed ashore by the waves, it would not have been lying as it is in the picture - almost as if the child had lain down for a sleep.   The father's own story has been found to be filled with inconsistencies and inaccuracies.   The latest claim, from a survivor of the capsizing, is that he was actually the 'captain' of the ill-fated little vessel.   It has also been noted that he was able to return to Syria in order to bury the bodies of his family - returning to the very 'war zone' from which he claimed to have fled!  

His own sister claimed, on Canadian television, that he had been in Turkey (it would appear that he had been there for about three years!) and that she had been paying the rent for the family's apartment.   It was she, also, who stated that his desire to get to Europe was motivated by his need for false teeth!   An anonymous blogger has apparently stated that Mr Kurdi had his teeth pulled out when being tortured by the Assad régime in his home country.  It could be asked why he didn't make this 'fact' known, himself, when he first came to the attention of the world's media.

Much more has apparently been unearthed, and it seems to me that there are more questions than answers in this sorry saga.  Of course the death of any child - or any adult - is sad.  Of course one has compassion for those who are genuinely fleeing persecution and violence.  However, there are sound reasons for believing that the majority of those who are currently seeking to enter a number of European countries are not fleeing adverse situations and circumstances, but merely seeking to benefit from what they see as some kind of 'El Dorado'!

I am not one to be taken in by every conspiracy theory - even those put about after the tragic event of fourteen years ago.  However, in addition to the above, the alleged comment by an official of the Saudi Arabian government, that his country (and other Arab, Muslim, countries) do not take in Muslim refugees because they want Europe to be filled with Muslims, is really quite believable!  The dream of many Muslims is the realisation of the world-wide Islamic Caliphate, and they will do all in their power, including lying and deceit, to achieve it.

Praise God, therefore, that He is the One Who is ultimately in control!   His Kingdom is within His people and will, many of us believe, be consummated soon.   Then will come to pass the vision granted to John: "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.  And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her Husband; and I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Behold, the dwelling of God is with men. He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be with them; He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away.'   And He Who sat upon the throne said, 'Behold, I make all things new.'" (Rev 21:1-5).  Hallelujah!

In Remembrance

Today has been Remembrance Sunday, and tomorrow is Armistice Day.  It's the time of the year when we remember those who died in the service of their country - not only in the two World Wars, but in many conflicts since.  We remember those who face death on a daily basis, in lands far from their homes. We remember those for whom this is a very poignant time of the year, as they remember loved ones who have died in the theatre of war. 

I find myself thinking, on this day, of those lives that were lost.  In the two World Wars alone, more than 12 million died while on active service.  And I don’t know how many civilians died; how many were left permanently disabled; how many were badly wounded – physically, psychologically, and emotionally.  And, of course, it doesn’t include those who died in all of the other conflicts – from Korea to Iraq and, currently, Afghanistan.  They paid – willingly, or unwillingly – the highest price, that their nation might be protected from its enemies. 

But I also reflect on the lesson that ought to have been learned.  On June 28^th, 1919, the League of Nations was established to ensure that the carnage of 1914-18 would never be repeated.  Twenty-six years later, on June 26^th, 1945, just a few weeks after the end of the war in Europe – a war which, by the establishment of the League of Nations, ought never to have taken place, the Charter of the United Nations was signed by the representatives of 50 nations.  The lesson had now been learned?  One doesn’t have to be a student of history to know that the evidence of the past 68 years says, “No!”

 

I can recall the Suez crisis of the mid-fifties; the terrors of the EOKA campaign in Cyprus; the atrocities of Mau-Mau tribesmen in Kenya; Vietnam; Biafra, N.Ireland; the Falklands; Iraq; and, still, Afghanistan. 9/11; 7/7; car bombs; suicide bombers.  A seemingly endless list.  One conflict after another, as man continues to demonstrate his inhumanity to man.  And still, we haven’t learned that fighting brings no lasting solution.  A lesson that ought to have been learned but that, demonstrably, has not been.

But for many of us, not even that is the whole story!  Because as I reflect on the lives that were lost, and the lesson that ought to have been learned, I cannot help but consider also the Lord Who has loved.  In former years, and within the memory of many of us, one of the strongholds of the Christian faith was this land that we love, and in which many who visit this blog dwell.  Indeed, historically, Scotland was known as “The Land of the Book” – and that Book was the Bible.  And there are those who would claim that, as a nation, we have known a special measure of the gracious protection of Almighty God.

But what has been His return?  Has His undeserved love for us led us to show love and gratitude to Him?  Sadly, all of the available evidence would suggest not.  It would appear that this nation, that once honoured and revered the very Name of God; that once worshipped Him both in church building and in the home; that sought His guidance; that lived in the light of His truth; has now, to a very large extent, turned its back on Him.  And is it possible that this departure from His statutes has contributed to the state of the nation as we see it today?

And at a personal level – because a nation is made up of individuals – there are many who, in times of stress, and crisis, and difficulty, have called upon His name.  And they have made promises – “Get me out of this situation, God, and I’ll ... ...” And, often to their own amazement, He has responded positively.  But when the situation is resolved; when the crisis is over; when the difficulty has been overcome – the promise, and the Lord to Whom the promise was made, are forgotten: at least until the next emergency!

Remembrance Sunday.  What do we remember?  May I suggest those three thoughts for your consideration and reflection?  That we remember the lives that were lost, and be grateful for those who died that we might enjoy the measure of freedom that we do.  That we remember the lesson that ought to have been learned, and seek to learn ourselves from past experience.  That we remember the Lord Who has loved, and respond to His love with the love and submission of our own hearts.  And to Him be all the glory, and honour, for ever.