Be assured that this is a rather bittersweet edition of this series to me. For on the one hand, I am so very impressed with the quality (both visually and audibly) of the following slide-show from [The Voices] was produced by Ettarose, who has become a very dear friend of mine.
On the other hand, however, her [Darfur] Slide-Show has left me with tears streaming down my face every time I have watched it. For it graphically depicts the intense suffering of so very many who have done nothing to deserve such treatment. That is, unless you want to blame them for being physically born into the wrong place at the wrong time, of course.
No, their suffering is not in vain—be assured. For it gives us another opportunity to give our Heavenly Father the full benefit of our doubts.
Nonetheless, be also assured that their suffering gives us another opportunity to have great compassion upon those in desperate need of aid and comfort, and woe be it to all who refuse when they are allowed and enabled to do so. For it is written: "But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.' Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.' Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.' Then they themselves also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?' Then He will answer them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.' These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." [Matthew 25:31-46 NAS]
Nonetheless, be also assured that their suffering gives us another opportunity to have great compassion upon those in desperate need of aid and comfort, and woe be it to all who refuse when they are allowed and enabled to do so. For it is written: "But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.' Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.' Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.' Then they themselves also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?' Then He will answer them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.' These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." [Matthew 25:31-46 NAS]
What you have done has made me immensely proud, not only to be able to call you friend but because through you and the Lord's will this may touch at least one person, to bring not only care about the suffering of the people of the world, but to spread the word of the horror that is called Darfur.
ReplyDeleteBe assured that all of the credit goes to our Heavenly Father, my dear Ettarose. For why would I care if not for how much He really does care, even though it does not appear to be so from our own ground-based points-of-view?
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading this post very much. I would like to view the video, however, I will have to wait until I get to a place where I have highspeed internet - will not work on dial-up connection. Thanks for sharing and being a blessing.
ReplyDeleteAlas, such in the price that must be paid for living out in the wilds of New Hampshire, my dear Mike. Thanks for coming by again!!!
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