21th March 2025
WHEN GOD HEALS
“Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome
my unbelief!” ”
Mark 9:24NIV
Ivar Ruud, dean
One afternoon I was summoned to a family in which the husband was ill.
I had seen the man at several meetings. He had been in the choir, I had
noticed. I did not expect to meet the man in such a state that he now found
himself in. No one had told me anything about his problems.
As I entered the kitchen, where the family sat at the dinner table, I saw that
the man was drunk. I was very surprised at this because I thought the man
was an "ordinary Christian" who didn't have problems with "King
Alcohol". But the worst thing was not that had problems – because we
know that most of us have problems of different kind.
No, it was this that he was arrogant and unpleasant. He knew me well. I
was a little uncomfortable when he said, "here comes him, that Jesus-type
again. It is one thing to preach to the meetings, but it is quite another thing
when one comes in real life. I have pain in the stomach and if I do not get
help, I intend to hang myself. "
After he had poured one harangue unfair and ugly foul words out, he
considered me and said. "Do you believe that God can help me and make
me well? You are so strong in faith of God."
The man spoke with a drawl, and it was quite clear that he did not have a
belief that it might be possible to get help from any God. I tried to answer
him as best I could and told him that I probably would not have such a
strong faith, but in spite of this, so I had a feeling that God would help.
"Do you believe that God can help me?" He asked again.
"Yes, why shouldn't he be able to help you? Jesus said that he who shouts
to him in his distress, will get help, "I replied.
The man was amazed at the response and repeated the question:
"Do you really think that if I pray, God is answering me?" I nodded in
response.
"Do you really think that if I pray to God now, God is answering and helps
me? Continued the man.
I was suddenly so sure that God would answer and so assured that the man
would get the help that I replied, "If you pray, God will help you."
So when there was a short silence, the man suddenly fell to his knees at the
chair where he had sat and I knelt beside him, and so the man began to
pray.
"Dear God, now you must help me - you know." Then he said no more,
before he uttered a cry: "Now I feel you touch me, God - now I feel the
pain abates. You - you, now he is here. .God. He answers me - do you hear
that? "
The man had had a meeting with him, the Master, Jesus. It has not always
been common to experience something like this, which happened on this
day, At least this was my experience, when I prayd for anyone. In fact, I
doubted probably whether a cure would really take place. But I believe
that God lets us feel in a special way sometimes.
Here I had not asked, but it was God who had been ready with the answer
and had reminded the man to ask. This was not the work of man, but of
God.
It is in such situations that you feel that prayers are heard by God and that
the answers are no trick and technique that has been incurred but received.
Christ can and I think he would be happy, if he could more often be
allowed to come to us in our lives.
It is not essential to have a great faith, but it is right to ask for help to use
the faith we have. It is indeed a gift from God – and if the faith is small, so
God will fill us.
E. Campbell translated
What do we know about Heaven?
"My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told
you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?"
John 14:2NIV
We don't know much about Heaven. Occasionally books are published on
this subject, but in reality we don't know an awful lot about Heaven. The
Bible tells mostly about life here on earth, about how God works through
his people and about man's opportunities to choose right in this life with
regard to what happens after death.
The only thing we know for sure in this life is that death will occur. We
don't need to read up on this knowledge. And even if we push it away from
us, it is still always lurking. Consciously or unconsciously, man is always
looking for a solution to the question: What happens when I have to leave
here?
Even if we do not get knowledge of life after death in detail, the Bible still
tells us something - enough for us to put up with. We can have peace of
mind. But as with other promises in the Bible, it only works when we
believe the Word.
Scripture tells us about a world beyond the one we see every day. It is
referred to as heaven: "“ ‘Our Father in heaven," Matt.6:9NIV "to the
church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven ..." Heb.
12:23NIV "... but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”"
Luke 10:20
We don't get to know much about the heaven, but we sense that there is
something immeasurably large - too large to be explained, so that we truly
understand it. Not until we reach beyond the limitations of the earth will
we come to understand it.
“But now someone could say: “How do the dead rise? And what body do
they come with? You ignorant! What you sow will not live unless it first
dies... There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory is one in
the heavenly and another in the earthly... "" 1 Cor.15
The question then is what kind of body. It is answered positively. In the
eternal world there is one body, but it is different from what we know here.
Even if we do not have clarity about all the details, the New Testament still
gives some personal instructions regarding the future: ““Do not let your
hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s
house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am
going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for
you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be
where I am. ”John 14:1-3
In the coming world there are homes, we are told here. And Jesus goes
away to prepare dwellings for his followers. One day he will come for
them again.
"I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is
better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. "
Phil. 1:23-24NIV
For the believer, death is the same as breaking up and being with Christ. It
is much better than living here on earth.
When we have to be here longer, it is so that we can be a blessing to
others. There are still some who need us here, but if we want to be selfish
and complacent, it would be much better to pass away—to die.
"The Church Bell" Effie Campbell translated
Jesus – an example or substitute
”For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes
also through a man. ”
1Cos.15:21NIV
After a meeting a man walked over to the speaker and said to him, dr.
M.Stearns. He said: I did not like your speech. I do not like the cross. I
think that instead of preaching about Christ's death on the cross, it would
have been much better to preach Christ as teacher and example.
Well, would you be willing to follow him if I preached Christ as an
example? Asked dr. Steanrs.
I had been willing, the man replied - I would have followed in his
footsteps.
Well, said dr. Stearns, - let us take the first step then.
"He who did no sin," Can you take this step.
The man was confused. - No, he said, - I do sin, I must admit.
Well, if this is the case, said dr. Stearns - then your first and greatest need
for Christ is not as an example, but as Savior.
This is every man's greatest need.
"Krigsropet"
E.Campbell translated
ON RIGHT COURSE
"Do you prepare to meet your God "
Amos 4:12NIV
This happened during World War II, when fishermen from Esbjerg were
out fishing. The sea was full of drifting mines and they had to go to work,
knowing that life was risky and hung by a thread.
Early one morning , the schooner, "dove" was hit by a mine while the
crew, which consisted of 10 men, held a morning meeting. The schooner
sank, but we managed to get the crew from the episode by climbing up on
a piece of driftwood, and it is told that the crew continued where they left
off with the morning services. When the first of them drowned and became
prey for the sea, the youngest, Verner began singing:
Ring, heavenly bells! Joy is today,
a soul came home from hunger and want.
The father made feast at leisure,
and wished the poor child welcome.
The song was a testimony from a young man who could safely face death
because he shortly before the mine episode had given Jesus his heart and
thus set the course for the heavenly beach.
When the ships that were in the same area as "dove" heard the firing, they
broke off their activities and rushed to sail on the scene, in order to, if
possible, to find survivors. They came too late to help Verner, who
drowned along with his friend; but the third was saved, and it is he who
told this. Through his testimony about this marvelous experience, there
were some individuals who decided to change their lives and take off
towards the heavenly beach and they could sing along to the same tune:
" By God's throne high singing angels
praise for harp playing,
and saved from the crowd, as ocean wave
hear eternal sound so gently."
How does it look from you reading this? Did you set sail for the heavenly
beach? Are you certain that you will live, even if you die? Are you ready
to say goodbye to this world? Death does not ask about time and age.
Verner was very young. No one has promised us that we will grow old.
Words of the Bible are unchangeable, also today:
"Do you prepare to meet your God " Amos 4, 12
There is only one way that can make you ready to meet God, which is to
accept Jesus as your personal Savior. He is the way and the truth and the
life; No one comes to the Father except through him.
John 14:6NIV
You can receive him as you read this, the word of God says: "Behold, now
it is a merciful moment, see, now is the day of salvation ! "
2 Cor. 6:2NIV
If the goal of your life's voyage is unknown, you have to change course
and allow the target to be the Heavenly beach. Simply ask Jesus to come
into your life and let him choose the way for you, then you will find
yourself a goal and you can show others the way too.
E. Campbell translated
The last carrying out
”Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave
the right to become children of God—”
John 1.12 NIV
It was a cold winter morning, and there had fallen some snow during the
night. A faithful servant of the Lord had got up early to read the word of
God and pray for the many tasks he had to face this new day.
While thus praying, he heard a quiet voice inside him. It said that he this
morning should remind the postman of God's saving love in Jesus Christ.
When he later heard letters and other things fall through the letterbox, he
quickly picked two treaties and hurried out into the cold snow to give to
the postman with a friendly: Good morning. Although it was half dark, you
could sense the postman's inquiring facial expression. This was quite
unexpected to the postman.
At noon a postal vehicle with packages came along and the first impulse of
this faithful servant was that the driver should also get a little greeting on
the road. But the driver said no thanks to receive the treaty, but he told him
that the postman who this very morning had received a treaty, had fallen at
the post office, and died of a heart attack. It was shocking and hard to
understand and believe. The postman was a man in the prime of life, and
now he was suddenly dead. But it was true, and God knew that this day
would be his last, and therefore he wanted to give him a chance to come to
Jesus and be saved.
This event tells us how essential it is to be obedient when God speaks. And
also when he speaks to us to be ready when the Lord calls to repentance
and salvation. Why hesitate the most crucial in life until the last minute? It
may be too late!
Dear friend, how do you feel about Jesus? Do you believe and do you
embrace him and see that it is true what the Bible says, ”Yet to all who did
receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to
become children of God—”
John 1.12 NIV
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that
whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
John 3.16 NIV
For when God today is calling you through this scripture, harden not your
hearts; thus: ”But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken
away.”
2. Cor. 3.16 NIV
You do not know how long you will live on earth. The postman had no
idea that this was his last day. And like this it goes with many people. They
think that they have plenty of time, but suddenly the death catches up with
them.
Do not let this day come to an end without making up with God, who
loves you so much that He let his own son die on the cross, even for you.
What is important is not first for you to be a better person, or to go to
church more, or to do good deeds. But instead you must come to Jesus as
you are. He will never walk away from you.
E. Campbell translated
SALVATION DAY.
"Behold, now is the merciful time, behold, now is the day of salvation!"
2 Cor. 6.2NIV
When we examine other religions, we find no similar words. They do not
exist in Hinduism. Hinduism says that you have to work long and hard,
and then you will be saved. Other religions say you must be reborn many
times and then you will find salvation. Buddhism states: kill your wishes
and when you have no needs and wishes left, then you will gain salvation.
All religions promise salvation in future. Christ says, NOW.
Some people, when they meet the calling, say they will think about it and
then decide tomorrow. Perhaps they will never have a new opportunity.
NOW is the time!
E. Campbell translated
A CURIOUS MACHINE
“So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he
created them; male and female he created them.”
Gen. 1: 27NIV
If man had to create and develop our bodie, and put it together technically
like a machine, then we would have blessed it.
A heart beats 70 times per minute, ie 100,000 times a day, and almost 2
billion in 50 years, and that without having to be repaired. This machine
weighs 300 grams.
2 million sweat pores in the skin look to our body temperature is kept
stable at 37 degrees. The nerves are three times faster than a high speed
train. The approximately 5 liters of blood that we have within us contains
25 trillion red blood cells and 34 billion white blood cells.
This we believe is a matter of course and marvel not, as we are not our
own work and therefore did not create ourselves. We are in fact God's
creation!
Therefore, a man can succeed and become the unimaginably great: a child
of God, friend of God, God's employee.
And a man can fail and become a monster. Of all creatures, we are the only
ones who can be the opposite of what we are created to be. A fox remains a
fox. It can not be a villainous and an evil fox.
Man is a creature which, on the one hand, is similar to the animals and
plants. So we can fade and die, rot and return to the earth, but if we look at
the other side, we are created in God's image, so we look like him and live
forever with him.
A machine! Yes, consisting of 66 % water - 10.5% Fat - 16.8% egg white
mass - 1.1 % carbohydrate - 5.6 % ash. If the value of this were deemed so
the material would cost about 2 pounds. But God loves us and has blown
his breath of life in us.
Who can understand it? And for that we should not be monsters, God sent
him to us that Pilate brought tortured and sentenced forward with the
words: "Here is the man." It's in him we see what God had in mind with
us. It is also alone with him, Jesus, we become what God created us to be.
" Kirkeklokken" E. Campbell translated
JOIN THE GREAT BANQUET, YOU ARE INVITED TOO
(Jesus) "he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe
the good news!”"
Markus 1.15 NIV
Sv. Rehling sings: "O God, it's so great that you want your work done by
human small children."
We are primarily put here to invite people to The Great Banquet.
E. C translated
WILL JESUS COME SOON?
“And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to
be with me that you also may be where I am. ”
John 14:3NIV
When is Jesus coming? This question countless believers have asked
through the ages. And this is definitely not an insignificant issue. It is a
characteristic of the faith to expect. The question is not: Will Jesus come?
But: when will he come?
Come soon, Lord Jesus! Is the final words of the Bible. Yet he is not here -
but he will come and recover everything. When? Soon!
Even Paul was waiting for him to come in his own time: "We who are
alive and remain to the coming of the Lord," Paul writes somewhere. But
Jesus didn't come in his time. Many other anticipated with joy; but they
had to realize that the time had not yet come.
In 1953 at a trade show in Nyborg in Denmark, I heard Anne Larssen
Bjørner say that she expected that Jesus would come again before that year
had finished. That is more then 40 years ago.
In the years 1666 many Christians in Europe anticipated, that the Lord
would soon come. The long Thirty Years War had hit Europe, and many
believed that this was the time. He had to come soon now!
We must be careful not to blame those who expected without getting their
heart's desires fulfilled. They spoke as they thought. Only those who truly
believe in Jesus, can expect his coming. And although they misjudged the
time, they will not be put to shame.
Peter talks about some scoffers who say: What happens to the promises of
his coming? For from the time when the fathers fell asleep, everything has
been about the same as at the creation of the world.
Peter says that this account is incorrect. God destroyed an entire world by
the flood, and in the same way also the current world will be cleansed, but
next time it will be by fire. No, the evidence of the mockers does not hold.
The Word was made flesh - Jesus came! When? When the times reached
their fulfillment, the Scripture tells.
When he comes the second time, it will also be when the times reach their
fulfillment. This is when everything is ready. The Father alone knows the
hour, not even his son in his human shape knew the exact time.
The only thing we have to take bearing of are the signs in time, and those
Jesus reminds us to heed. The prophetic word also say something about
this. It is clear that Jesus is coming soon!
Kirketårnet E.Campbell translated
DO NOT MOCK GOD
”Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.”
Gal. 6:7NIV
My father, who comes from the sandhill areas of the North Sea, once told
me that he one evening was out walking when thunder and lightning
flashed in the sky. This night he saw some men who were sitting in the
local pub drinking.
Suddenly one of the men took his glass and went outside. When he came
out, he raised his glass towards the sky and said, "Cheers God!" and in that
moment he was hit and killed by a lightning.
Helge Bækby, "signs of the times" Effie Campbell translated
ISRAEL
In 1996 it was 3,000 years ago King David chose Jerusalem as the capital.
Undoubtedly, there have been numerous changes in Israel since then, as
well as is the case now. But we think that right now God will show up as
the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who stands firm on his word. The
country is his, and Jerusalem is "the city of the Great King" as it says in
the Bible in Psalm 48.3.
Our task as Christians is to pray and comfort, support and help what the
Lord leads us with His Spirit. The entire book of Zechariah speaks loud
and clear about God's plans for Israel. Therefore, we should read the
prophecies before we pray, so that we can pray according to God's will.
Pray that the Holy Spirit will come upon the Middle East, and that the hard
hearts may melt and be cleansed and get a new spirit.
(Ez 36.26-29)
It is certain that it moves mountains in the world of spirits. A short while
ago, 15,000 Jews together to the Western Wall in Jerusalem and asked for
forgiveness for their own and their country's sins!
Anne Lise Madsen
E. Campbell translated
The calling to work in the vineyard
”“The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the
harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. ”
Luke 10:2NIV
About one of his song the writer, Hjalmar Hansen, stated this:
I was heading to a corps in Opland (Norway) where I was to be in charge
of the meeting, to be held Whit Sunday. On the train Whit Saturday I got
this song from God.
The officer and his wife were both excellent singers. They rehearsed the
song and sang songs at the morning meeting 1st Whit Monday.
As the meeting was nearing completion, a female soldier came forward
and asked to pray for her. She told me that for several years she had felt
that she should have joined the Sunday school work; but she had left it
alone, because she was afraid to be tied down. This song, which had just
been sung, however, had had a great influence on her, so she came forward
to offer herself for the Sunday school work.
Was it a coincidence that I had written this song just before going to visit
this corps, or was it God, who made it this way, so that the song was
written just at this time? Well, it was probably God who controls all things,
who organized this.
E. Campbell translated
THE WORD PLANTED
“...the word planted in you,...”
James 1.21 NIV
It is about hearing God's word so that the word is planted in the heart. In
the heart the word tree be should be allowed to stand and bear fruit for
God. To let the word get mastery over the mind and thoughts so that they
can be guided by the Word, that is what we call conversion.
Try now whether you today can let God's word be allowed to attach its
roots inside you - take it out on a daily basis - and when you get out there
and meet the many small and big problems and to decide on one or the
other, then let the implanted word guide you to do the right thing.
He who truly plants the Word in the heart, will bear beautiful fruit, it will
not fail - that is, it is not he himself who bears these fruits, but it is the
implanted word that does it. Then all self-praise is excluded, and there
remains only one eulogy of the living word of God, who creates what it
mentions.
Einar Fledelius , priest - E. Campbell translated
DUST ON THE GLASSES
“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no
attention to the plank in your own eye?”
Math. 7:3NIV
Mrs. Olsen had a capable home help named Anna. It almost never
happened that Mrs Olsen put on her spectacles on her nose to examin how
Anna performed her work. But once she took the glasses, put them on the
nose and hurried into the room.
"You must have forgotten to remove the dust today," said Mrs. Olsen,
"Look at all the dust by the piano."
"Sorry," said Anna, "but doesn't my lady have dust on her spectacles?"
Mrs. Olsen took off her glasses. Yes, Anna was right. A fine layer of dust
was visible on the lenses. When she had polished the glasses, everything
was fine and clean, "This is a lesson I want to remember forever," said
Mrs. Olsen.
---
We often think that there are quite a few things wrong with the others, but
in reality it is ourselves we should examin. It is us who have dust on the
glasses.
Kirkeklokkerne. Effie Campbell translated
THE SMALL COPPER COINS OF THE WIDOW
“He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this
poor widow has put in more than all the others.”
Luke 21, 2-3 NIV
A wealthy woman was asked for a donation to a charity.
"I'd like that," she replied, "but you must be satisfied with the coins of the widow." " That's too
much, "was the reply, "We cannot accept this."
"Too much?" The woman said. "You must have misunderstood me. In recet months I have given
so much to charity that this time you must be happy with the coins of the widow."
"My dear lady," said the man who collected money, "it's too much. The widow that you refer to
gave everything she owned as a gift to God. But I think it's too much if you wanted to give
everything you owned." In the end, the woman gave a good donation; but after that day she
never compared her presents with the coins of the widow.
"Kirkeklokken'' E. Campbell translated
HYMNS
“Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and
admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs
from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. ”
Col.3:16NIV
What you want your children to be rooted in and live by spiritually, you
must sing into their minds. And you should start early. A singing mother at
the cradle gives a child soul the right tone. What we elderly think is worth
living and dying for, we must sing into the minds of our children.
I have for several years had a hymn book lying on my bedside day and
night. I have had great joy in this and I 'd love to let this go on to others.
I recall from my years as a child that when my older siblings came home
to visit on Sunday afternoons, it was very natural that we had to sing. Then
Mortan Eskesens' Hymn and songbook was taken off the shelf, and we
sang of full hearts, despite the fact that none of us were particularly good
at singing.
There is a specific place that the hymnbook always should be, and that is
at the sickbed. A hymn may be read and it has happened for many souls
that a single verse or just a line of a hymn encourages greatly.
“Et Ord med på Vejen.” E. Campbell translated
WORDS ABOUT THE CROSS
““It is finished.””
John 19.30 NIV
Christianity without the cross is like a car without an engine: you can
easily familiarize yourself with it and be happy; but it doesn't lead you
anywhere.
When the chief priests, the Council, the waiters, the Roman governor and
the soldiers on Good Friday had finally finished their work and had made
Jesus hang on the cross, it was not their work, but His “work”, which was
"finished"
After Kr Friis: "Pigge og nagler." E. Campbell translated
SEED
"“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden."
Matt.5:14NIV
It has been told about the Norwegian poet Henrik Wergeland, that on his
many tours and travels he always brought a bag of flower seeds with him.
If he passed a small bare piece of land where nothing grew, he took a
handful of his seed and planted it on the spot so that he the next time he
passed that place could see a spot with beautiful flowers instead of a bar
spot.
It is also our duty as Christians to sow seed, where we are going. We have
been made part of God's word and it ought to move us so much that we
want to carry it on to other people as well. And it is urgent ...
“Et Ord med på Vejen”. E. Campbell translated
GET YOURSELF THE BREAD OF LIFE
“I am the bread of life. ”
John 6,48 NIV
Many people almost never read God's Word, the Bible. So they have no
comfort and no help. Why is that? Because the word from Jesus and the
word about Jesus was not "Bread of Life" for them. They do not live in an
atmosphere where God's Word is the daily food that we need.
One hymn says, “God, let us live by your word as daily bread on earth."
Many of us do remember how it was in their childhood back home.
Thinking back on it with pleasure. But what is the situation in our home
today? Is God's Word the daily bread that leads Jesus near to us?
E. Campbell translated
Look, the Lamb of God
”The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the
Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! ”
John 1,29 NIV
Martin Luther.
“Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” God says:
"I know that your sins are too heavy for you to carry. Behold, therefore I
will put them on my lamb and remove them from you. Believe this! When
you do this, then you are free from sin.
The Sin has just two places, it can be: Either it is with you and are on your
own neck, or it is in Christ, the Lamb of God. If it is with you, then you
are lost; but when it is in Christ, then you are free from it and are saved.
Now choose what you want! Under the law, it ought to be such that the sin
is on you. But by grace, the sin has been thrown on Christ, the Lamb of
God.
E. Campbell translated
1st March 2025
GOD'S CRYING EYE
“how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen
gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.”
Matt. 23.37
In his book, "The wonder that wakes us all" Roger Larsson tells about a
trip to Israel. Here we include the text sequence where he visits a church:
This quiet Sabbath morning in Jerusalem I had gone into the small chapel,
Dominus Flevit ("The Lord wept") or as it is often referred to: "The church
of the weeping God." It has the shape of a tear drop, and it's as if it fell
down right there on the Mount of Olives, the place where Jesus wept over
Jerusalem. Hailed by the crowd, he had come from Bethphage to
Jerusalem, “As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it
and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring
you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes.”
Luke 19,41-42
Depictions of tears has been found in this place. As Franciscan
archaeologists in the mid-20th century carried out excavations before the
church was built, they discovered the remains of a mosaic floor from a
very old church that probably had been built as early as the 6th century.
The pattern of the mosaic floor were also tears, and from these came forth
arrows showing the direction of the tears: towards Jerusalem.
Here I sat in complete silence and looked toward the altar window that was
in front of me. It envisioned the view of Jerusalem, Temple Square with
famous buildings, with towers and domes, and I looked over the many
houses in the town, built in the characteristic white limestone.
But there was something more, a perspective that turned inward, against
the heart of the weeping God. The entire window testified about it. The
artist had managed to portray this very clear.
I saw the tears, the big drops spread all over the altar window. And I saw
the thorns that had not yet been tied to a crown of thorns. They lay there in
a heap. Already there Jesus had experienced the pain, the sorrow of the
people.
He saw the city and wept.
Outside the altar window people passed by, one after the other. They threw
a quick glance in and then continued their route. They seemed to have the
same longing, namely to be allowed to see Jesus, see the holy God,
meeting the Holy Spirit.
All of a sudden I saw it - the picture from my year of the child, which I
colored in the Sunday School, the picture I had seen so vividly in front of
me: the hen that gathers her chicks under her large protective wings. Here
on the Mount of Olives and inside the chapel, which was shaped like a big
drop, this picture in front of the altar. It was made of shiny mosaic. And I
thought of the words of Jesus : “how often I have longed to gather your
children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you
were not willing.” Matt. 23:37NIV
But the image doesn't merely express a wistful complaint. It also expresses
a calling tone. "Come here to me," says the Lord, "Come in here, where it
is safe to be. Do not only throw a quick casual glance in here and then
hasten on.
Come!
Keep looking up at me.
Look and live.
E. Campbell translated