Why are we not angry? We all grow on one earth

Good question as I sit down to write my sermon this week, the lectionary reading is so apt for the situation we find ourselves in, thousands of Refugees (from war, poverty and distress) flooding into Europe and nobody really sure what to do.

In the readings from Marks Gospel Jesus calls the Sryo Phoenician woman who asks for his help a dog "for it is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to the dogs", which is a pretty derogatory expression used even today when we don't want to acknowledge the humanity of another. All I can say is this is a moment when Jesus appears fully human and it may even be a pivotal moment in his ministry and understanding of who and what he really is. But that will be for the sermon.

Surely we can all see that the people on our televisions each night are just like us, all they want is to be safe, is to be in a place where they can live without fear of death, of torture of oppression, are we so insecure, so unsure of our own countries and leaders that we can't show compassion and kindness. Why are we not all shouting from the rooftops to our leaders 'do something, stop dithering, act  with kindness and compassion' for one day we may need help too.

Was watching a programme last night on the India season and was moved to see the hidden 'valley of flowers' high in the mountains, the valley cut off by snows in the winter, but in summer the alpine meadows were  a riot of colour with flowers of all kinds. Then found this on a Facebook post from one of my favourite site

 "All the races and tribes in the world are like the different coloured flowers of one meadow. All are beautiful. As children of the Creator they must all be respected" 

So how about it, we know that the people coming to Europe are not dogs, cockroaches or any other demeaning name you might want to call them, they are human beings, like you and me and they deserve our kindness and our respect, for like us they grow on the same earth and 

flower in the same meadow and if we refuse to care for them we destroy ourselves as well.