Down To Earth Faith

God has done something about the evil and suffering in our world.
Over two thousand years ago, He sent His Son into the world's
worst trouble spots, Palestine.  He grew up to become a carpen-
ter, living in a country occupied by foreign troops.

Surrounded by violence, poverty, and disease, Jesus spent His
life bringing the love of God to ordinary people.  He healed the
sick.  He taught people to love those who hated them.  He
showed people how much God loved them.  He turned the
minus of their lives into a glorious plus. ``God anointed Jesus
of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went
about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the
devil, for God was with Him.``  Acts 10:38

But Jesus also made some powerful enemies.  In the end, the
politicians fixed it for Him.  He was arrested, beaten up, and
handed over to the occupation troops.  They took Him to the
local killing ground, and put Him to death.  If there had been
TV then, it might have made the evening news.  ``And we are
witnesses of all things which He did both in the land of the
Jews and in Jerusalem, whom they killed by hanging on a
tree.`` Acts 10:39

Some people say that the Christian faith is out of touch with
reality.  But the life and death of Jesus show that this simply
cannot be true.  A real Jesus was pinned with real nails to a
real piece of wood, and shed real blood.  The cross was a
terrifying, bloody execution.  It was as down-to-earth as
you can get.  ``Him God raised up on the third day, and
showed Him openly, and He commanded us to preach to
the people, and to testify that He is who was ordained by
God to be Judge of the living and the dead.`` Acts 10:40,42

Christianity does not turn a blind eye to human suffering.
Like the bulletins we see on the news, the crucifixion of
Jesus shows us that something has gone terribly wrong
with the human race.  But unlike those bulletins, the
crucifixion also shows us that there is a solution.  It tells
us that God has done something to change it all!  That
is His promise to you and to me today.