A special love letter
“Come to me, all of you who toil and carry burdens, and I, yes, I, will lead you into rest.”
Matthew 11:28 (Williams)
I am currently reading a book by Bill Bryson, and just in case you don’t know, he is an American writer, born in Des Moines, Iowa, who moved to the UK in 1977 with his English wife. After living here, in North Yorkshire, for twenty years, he and his wife decided to go back to the USA. The book is basically about the things he found difficult to deal with after being away from the US for so long, and he compares both cultures in a very laid back and humorous way. He mentions how someone in America once sent a letter with the following address:
Hill
John
Mass.
The postal service cleverly worked this out as: John Underhill, Andover, Massachusetts – pretty good eh? A bit of detective work by the employees there! But he also mentions the Royal Mail as having delivered a letter to him, posted from London, and addressed to:
Bill Bryson
Writer
Yorkshire Dales
It got to him two days after it was posted!
I have two questions – if Jesus wrote a letter to mankind, what kind of letter would it be? And, more importantly, how would it be delivered?
I’m convinced that the letter would be a love letter, a message of outgoing concern, and compassion because he understands our humanity. It would also be a message of great joy – about getting together, and healing the rift: a letter of reconciliation! Reconciliation means the restoration of peace, friendship, and harmony. Hence Jesus’s own words, quoted above in Matthew 11:28 – he longs to have a special relationship with us, to be involved in our lives to help and serve us. That’s his special function today as our Advocate: the one who pleads for us before God (1 John 2:1 NKJV).
Notice where this letter from Jesus is now; ‘You [Christians] show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.’ (2 Corinthians 3:3 NIV). Isn’t that amazing? And you know, something written by the Spirit is far more valuable and precious and permanent than any record written in ink or carved on stone.
This beautiful love letter, with all its compassion and love, needs to pour forth from our Christian hearts in a lifestyle that will be read by others. It really is a heart-to-heart message!
Prayer
Thank you, Lord, for granting us the privilege of delivering your special message to others as we go about our daily lives in your service. Amen.
Study by Cliff Neill
About the writer:
Cliff Neill is a minister in the Hemel Hempstead congregation of Grace Communion International, where he is on the leadership team.
Local congregation:
GraceCom Hemel, Room 12
HQ Innovation House
39 Mark Road
Hemel Hempstead
HP2 7DN
Meeting time:
Sunday 10:30am
Hemel Hempstead is also on Zoom, please email the congregational contact below for the link
Local congregational contact:
Shirley McLean
Email: hemel@gracecom.church
Word of Life contact:
wordoflife@gracecom.church