Side by side

by Jonathan Krause

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Young men and women alike, old and young together! (Psalm 148:12)

Read Psalm 148

Now that’s easier said than done, isn’t it? Young and old together.

When I was young – a long time ago now – it was much easier. Back then, I knew everything about everything. I was so confident in my knowledge that I didn’t need to listen to what anyone else had to say. And if I had to shout to ensure I was heard, then surely that’s the fault of those who should have just listened to me!

The danger is that as I get older, I may think I am wiser (and maybe I am a bit), and no longer need to listen to young people, even if they may have a message worth listening to. I may get stuck in my ways.

That’s why I like going to the footy. Especially when Collingwood beat the Crows*. As you barrack for your team, it doesn’t matter whether you are old or young, male or female, rich or poor. As the Collingwood theme song puts it so beautifully, ‘Side by side, we stick together’!

How joyous it would be if we Christians could come together in the same way. Old and young. Male and female. City and country. Maybe with different points of view about politics or football teams or the best place to live or even the finer points of theology … yet side by side, together, with our eyes fixed on Jesus, united in the faith we share.

As I said at the start, that’s easier said than done.

And that’s where the advice (command?) of verse 13 of this psalm is so powerful:

Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for his name alone is exalted;
his glory is above earth and heaven.

When we look upon our Lord and fix our eyes firmly there, we are no longer looking at the person alongside us, focusing on how they are different from us and the things about them that we may not like, approve or agree with.

Instead, we are side by side, together, united, as God’s people here on Earth.

Lord, I praise you for all you do for me. For comfort and joy, strength and courage, light and life. In you, I place my faith, and your name I exalt. Thank you. Amen.

* This is the last of my week’s devotions, and I warn you each day I’m ‘Magpie-mad’, so you can’t expect me to finish the week without a Collingwood reference! Go Pies!

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