fearless

It’s sad when you wake up in the middle of the night to the sprinklers, thinking it’s raining. Once I remember, however, that I’m in California, and it never rains here, I settle back into my pillow again and just pretend.

In these recent days I came across two phenomenal movies on the tube – Veronica Guerin and Blood Diamond. What the two movies had in common were very brave journalists, fighting to report the truth, who refused to be deterred!
Veronica Guerin was an Irish investigative reporter who spent her life (and gave it in the end!) to revealing the truth about drugs and crime in Ireland! She was beat up and even shot, but that only proved to be more fuel for the fight! ‘Big problems call for big commitment.’ And this Irish lady committed herself to a cause, despite the danger, regardless of the threats. The enormity of the drug problem in Ireland got her writing, and kept her writing!
And the same heroism is starred in Blood Diamond, as there is yet another fearless journalist investigating and reporting in the face of great tragedy and misfortunate reality. She left American ‘bling-bling’ for African ‘bling-bang’ and devoted herself to unveiling huge injustice and deceit! She dodged the bullets. She asked the hard questions. She wrote the hard stories. Amidst political unrest and oppression, she uncovers what we call ‘conflict diamonds’.
Good movies invoke a lot of reflection. And reflect, I have. I have put myself in their shoes, in Ireland and in Africa, and ask myself if I would be so brave, as to stand up to crime and injustice. Or even more importantly, would I be so brave as to stand up for the Gospel? After all, isn’t Jesus Christ of the Gospel most worthy of my life, and death?
And then I remember – “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” He says to “not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” Something not just to think about folks, but to live about!

The other day at work, an adorable little girl said to me, as she and her mum were leaving the store, “Ok, well have a good night.” I said, “You too!” of course. A minute later she came back and said, “And when you wake up in the morning, have a good morning.”

Well, good night folks. And when you wake up in the morning, good morning!