PSALM 4 - (2)
How long oh you sons of men,
will you turn my glory to shame.
How long will you love worthlessness
and seek falsehood.
Selah
Miriam was watching a news report on the internet about an American veteran who had been arrested for feeding those living on the street. The door bell interrupted her attention and as she moved across the room to the hallway she looked back not wanting to miss the report. A man appeared to be presenting his case to a rather grim faced committee which included the Mayor of Fort Lauderdale, America.
The bell rang again. "Okay I coming" she shouted. The young man standing on her doorstep beamed. "Hello, I'm from Fort Lauderdale" he announced "I am researching public opinion regarding homeless both in this country and my own.
That is strange thought Miriam. "Actually I was just watching a video showing the arrest of someone called Arnold Abbot from your area" "Ah yes" replied the handsome young man "He is highly valued by our CEO at H.Q. He has served us well but at the moment he is up against the authorities. We will do all we can to protect him from this rather dark council. He doesn't court publicity but for the moment he is safer in the spotlight.
"What is going on across the pond" asked Miriam "it all sounds dreadful" the young man smiled and said gently "it will happen here if people don't rise against it, and those that stick their head above the parapet will probably get the same treatment in this country. There is an answer but those in power have a strong agenda.
"The way things are heading" said Miriam "there won't be anything left to have an agenda about. Someone is very keen to start another world war. But the answer to homeless is blatantly obvious we GIVE.
Give land - goodness you have enough of that in America your country is vast.
How many empty buildings, factories and empty homes could be used to shelter those who have fallen through the net. At least in this country we still have a benefit system of sorts, housing associations and the relief organisation Shelter.
"That's what my CEO approves. He wants people to give. Arnold is loved and blessed and he believes he is his brothers keeper. His organisation is called "Love thy neighbour" and that is what he does. He spreads God's love for the disenfranchised, victims of his city and great will be his reward.
"Here comes the punch line" thought Miriam "he's going to ask me for a donation and right now I only have five pounds in my purse"
The man continued "we need more workers in the field. Arnold is 90 and he has spent 23 years in our service. We need people to pick up the baton. It is going to get very dark for a while then our CEO will take charge.
"They are starting to arrest people here for protesting" Miriam continued "how long before they decide to euthanase the homeless, elderly, sick and handicapped. Our health service the pride of this once great country is falling apart. Too many chiefs.
"We have many good people working for us across the globe" said the American "it is better to focus on their progress rather than watch the competition at work."
"Thank you for your time" said the young man as he turned and walked away. "Just a minute" shouted Miriam "Who did you say you worked for?" but the man disappeared from view.
She had missed the rest of the video report but was relieved when a later news report stated the elderly gentleman had not been kept in prison, nevertheless he had to pay a 500 dollar fine.
The door bell rang again. Here we go, he did want a donation Miriam suggested to herself.
Her niece stood at the gate. "Just paying my taxi fare" shouted Jenny "with you in a minute."
Jenny came down the drive, rucksack on her back, a bright orange furry orangoutang cuddly toy dangling out of one compartment. "Lovely to see you Aunty Mim" and with a bear hug and kiss she followed her aunt inside.
Later that evening Miriam recounted the incident with the handsome American. "Which organisation did he work for" asked Jenny. "Do you know I have no idea" Miriam replied. "And strangely I was just watching a video on the internet about a 90 year old veteran American who was feeding the homeless on the streets of Fort Lauderdale in US. He knew about this man and he said his organisation needed more people in the field.
"Sounds like he was from some Christian organisation, did he ask for money" Jenny questioned. "Actually he didn't" said Miriam "it was almost as though he was quizzing my reaction to homeless people but he did suggest they were short of workers. Miriam sighed "I just wish I had my youth and health, I would be out there. I am afraid I would be more of a liability these days. It makes one feel so helpless. At the final interview when Jesus asks me "what did you do, I am going to be in deep trouble."
"Oh Mim" said Jenny "it's not about being good, its all about accepting Jesus as your Lord and Saviour"
"Really" said her aunt "tell me then why is it written:
Matthew 25
(37) Lord when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?
(38) When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?
(39) Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?
(40) And the King will answer and say to them 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to me.'
"If you truly know the Lord, my dear, you will see with His eyes and that in itself will prompt you to help others.
We start off in a right direction but we lose our way, we can become obsessed with our own importance and personal creed. God chooses who he uses, the place and the time and there is no room for self gratification or the idea that we are precious and preferred. When we look at the world through His eyes it is easy to love those the world sees as unlovable. I certainly wouldn't want to be around to see what happens to the Men of Power in the dreadful Day of the Lord which is surely coming or the Mayor and his cronies in Fort Lauderdale.
When I was a young girl the school I attended had 4 houses. Honour, Fidelity, Loyalty and Victory. We were placed in house and we wore a coloured badge on our uniform. I was in Honour and sported a yellow badge. We received merit marks for good behaviour and black marks for bad behaviour. Every month the person with the most black marks was named and shamed at the morning assembly. It was punishment enough to have let your house down. That system produced excellent results and ensured and maintained discipline. There was relative order and peace. The house with the highest number of merits received congratulations that too was enough reward, how the world has changed.
Sadly today few practice what they preach and they dishonour the name of the Lord. Their behaviour is questionable and a critical world watches.
Walking paths of righteousness according to God's Word brings honour to His name.
Walking in our own agenda brings dishonour to His name.
"Wow" said Jenny "strong stuff, they don't take things quite that seriously at our church, they are are pretty flexible in fact they had a gay marriage service the other week. Plenty of fun stuff going on and the band is great"
"Be very care Jenny" said Miriam "it sounds apostate. There is no messing with God's word. You are either "in or out" You pick up your cross and you can expect attack from every direction.
"Did you say you wanted to study medicine Jenny" asked Miriam "yes" replied Jenny. "As long as I can get the grades I need." "Will you hold to the Hippocratic Oath" asked Miriam. "Do they still do that? asked Jenny. "I hope so" replied Miriam "although when you consider the present state of the Health Service it does beg the question has it just become another highly paid profession.
Of course people in America are in an even worse state. They won't do an operation unless you can pay. Homeless people can't afford insurance it looks bleak, unless the "Patch Adams" increase and doctors work for nothing, or on the basis if the sick really can't pay they will still get treatment. Those doctors won't get rich, but prayerfully they will get sponsorship. People with a conscience who care about their fellow man and are prepared to donate to a worthy cause.
It's an interesting read on the internet. The first Hippocratic oath was to the Greek Gods and by the early twentieth century only 20% of the medical students took that oath because the use of the knife was forbidden as was abortion and euthanasia.
In 1948 the 2nd General Assembly of the World Medical Association adopted the Declaration of Geneva to prevent any repeat of the appalling atrocities the Germans inflicted on the Jews in the concentration camps. They were required to take the oath before they started practicing medicine, whereas the original oath was required before they could even start to train.
There is probably yet another up to date version, and you can be sure Gods or God has been removed from the equation.
I think the Geneva version should apply. The first three verses went as follows:-
I solemnly pledge to consecrate my life to the service of humanity...
I will practice my profession with conscience and dignity;
The health of my patient will be my first consideration.
The last two verses:
I will maintain the utmost respect for human life;
I will not use my medical knowledge to violate human rights and civil liberties, even under threat.
That version was written in 1964 by Louis Lasagna. Academic Dean of the School of Medicine at Tufts University.
When you read those profound words you can't help wondering exactly what has happened to the medical profession and they must surely be at odds with the government. In the days before the National Health Service did they show compassion for the poor who couldn't pay. Or was it a case of breaking their oath and turning away a suffering individual. How on earth could they do that."
Jenny sighed. "We appear to be going backwards" Well perhaps we have to learn to give and expect little in return other than the basic need to earn a crust and put a simple roof over our heads.
"Perhaps" said Miriam "we will all have to learn to be content with what we have - give us this day our daily bread - at least until our Saviour returns."
"How will we cope if our government sells out to American interests and people can't afford medical insurance" asked Jenny.
"Well perhaps we will have to resurrect a Florence Nightingale mentality. She didn't expect to be paid for caring for the sick. It is the basis tenet of the Christian faith. We are called to love one another. How else do you show that love other than giving of yourself, your time and money to help others.
The Sisters of Mercy were the nuns Florence chose to go with her to the Crimea. Apparently everyone else failed their interview - of course that's according to the film version which is available on You Tube. Whether that is accurate who knows, but these women who had already given their life to the Lord also gave to humanity. They followed His word and witnessed His love.
Actually the Nightingale Pledge for nurses was written by Mrs Lystra E. Gretter and a committee for the Farrand Training School for nurses in Detriot, Michigan. The words are just beautiful:
I solemnly pledge myself before God and in the presence of this assembly,
to pass my life in purity and to practice my profession faithfully etc. etc. .............
you can actually hear her Florence Nightingale's voice on You Tube, quite an experience. For me nursing was never about money. It was about caring, but I could see the direction the service was taking many years ago. The horror stories of neglect are commonplace today. When one nurse was challenged by a distressed parent regarding the appalling mess in which she found her daughter the nurse merely replied "would you wipe bottoms for a few pounds an hour." That just about sums up the attitude of some, thankfully not all. The essential qualification needed for any potential nurse is simply "a caring heart" We will all need to pray for divine healing in the future.
"By the way" said Jenny changing the subject "I'll be leaving for London in the morning. Meeting up with uni friends we are joining the protest march. We have to start somewhere.
"Be very careful" said Miriam "but I understand, if I were your age I would be alongside. Although I really don't think they would worry about arresting someone my age. It's a sign of the times.
"Don't worry Aunty" said Jenny "I am not going to hit a police man. I will just bore him to death.
The following day Jenny headed for the capital to meet with her friends. Before she left Miriam handed her a strong cardboard tube it was 36" long. Inside the tube a large poster of the Desiderata. "This is a poster for your room Jenny" said Miriam "When you move among people who are of different religious and political persuasion it will remind you of your place in the scheme of things.
"Thanks so much Aunty Mim" Jenny replied and with another bear hug and kiss she pushed the tube into her back pack alongside Bert the orangoutang and climbed into the waiting taxi.
The embankment was crowded, noisy, and relatively good natured but as the sun sank below the horizon tensions were mounting.
Police in full riot gear stood behind the barrier. The crowds moved and jostled each other trying to remove the barricades. An over zealous police officer decided the cardboard tube sticking out of Jenny's back pack had sinister implications. He lunged to grab the offensive article from her back pack. Jenny fell her face pressed into the steel barrier and as the crowd surged forward the pain in her face increased and she felt faint.
The crowds were pushed apart as a giant of a man reached for Jenny. "Hi Jenny" he said as he picked her off the barrier and lifted her into his arms. "It's okay girl, lets get you out here" With his height and strength he flicked the crowd out of the way like discarded dominoes.
D.C. Dave Seed was on the other side of the barrier. He saw the actions of his fellow officer. He'd make a good mercenary he considered. He showed little emotion and he loved the challenge shouting "let's smack em boys"
For a brief moment he saw Penny's face bruised and bleeding but she remained calm and mouthed the word "sorry" and was gone.
The next morning D.C. Dave Seed walked into his C.O. office. "Good morning Dave" said the expressionless figure behind the desk. Dave couldn't help thinking about the computer in 2001. "Good morning Sir" he replied as he flung his badge on the desk. "I'm resigning, they can get someone else to do their dirty work"
"I really would give this some serious consideration Dave" the robotic voice continued "you have an excellent record, we need every man"
"Not this one" replied Dave.
"It's not going to be easy to find alternative employment you will be regarded as disruptive and lacking in team skills.
"I just hope others will follow" replied Dave "I didn't sign up for this. Bashing kids who care about their future and their country"
"They will find a way round it you know, there's always the army" said the C.O. "Who are they" asked Dave. There was no reply and Dave enjoyed slamming the door as he left.
The phone rang in Miriam's house. "Hi Aunty, Penny here. I'm in the halls of residence in my room, just about to put your poster on my wall. Got in a bit of a jam but I'm okay, a bit bruised but nothing serious. A huge bloke appeared from nowhere and picked me up like a feather and took me to the edge of the crowd. Then he went with me to the hospital but they said I was okay to go home. Just about to have a nice cup of tea.
"Gosh" said Miriam "I am well impressed what did this man look like"
"Well" replied Penny "he was an American and he was really tall, dark haired and handsome." Penny giggled. "Mim you should have seen the queues in A & E it was quite dreadful.
"This has got to change" said Miriam "but just may be you will be inspired by your poster. This is still a beautiful world and there are heroes everywhere. Don't read the broadsheets they are full of porn and junk. Chuck your television set in the bin. Don't run with the sheep. Stay grounded in your beliefs and principles and you won't go wrong. Oh, and believe His promise.
A couple of months passed and the door bell chimed. Miriam had visitors, Jenny and a young man.
"It's early days" confided Jenny as she helped her aunt with the tea trolley "but you know how you get that feeling that this is more than just friendship something is happening between you" Dave found Bert lying in a puddle next to the crash barriers. One of my friends told him I was a student and gave him my address. He initially came to return Bert and I now have a very special friend. He has resigned from the police force, he said he had had enough. He is thinking of studying forensic science. We might even end up at the same university.
"God works in mysterious ways" thought Miriam as she closed the door behind the two young people.
"Now I wonder what happened to my American"
Matthew 28 - 20
Jesus said
"teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you,
and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.
AMEN and AMEN.
SHALOM.
Todah Yeshua.
FOR YOUR GLORY LORD.
