Day 199, or July the 18th. Standing out from the crowd.
Today's thoughts are rooted in Isaiah chapter 20 verse 2. At that time the Lord spoke through
Isaiah son of Amoz. He said to him, Take off the sackcloth from your body and the sandals
from your feet. And he did so, going around stripped and barefoot.
And now the big picture surrounding this verse. Isaiah declares more prophecies against the
enemies of Israel, such as Ethiopia, Egypt, Babylon and Edom. In the midst of this tirade
we are given a fascinating insight into part of Isaiah's personal life. We need these
reminders because we often forget that the prophets were people too. Some were married
and many had families, so their worries and responsibilities were like ours, but their
response to God's call was quite outstanding, and a great example to all of us.
And now today's action step. In 1852 an Englishman called Samuel Fox invented
the lightweight steel-framed umbrella that many of us use today. It is said that he was
ridiculed by some of his contemporaries and told that such a fanciful article would never
catch on. When I was growing up only businessmen and well-dressed ladies used umbrellas, but
nowadays you get folk in tracksuits and even T-shirts and shorts sheltering under brollies.
Laughter and ridicule can seem such a force at the time that many good ideas have been
discarded, and even more importantly it has deterred some of God's followers from witnessing
well. Isaiah was a respectable prophet who moved in powerful circles and who always had
something of value to add to the society of his day. He was nevertheless willing to lose
his dignity for God. I think part of the reason that our society
reveres the Salvation Army so much is because they are willing to dress in a distinct way
and stand out. I still have a Palm Sunday cross in my car and a small ichthys on the
boot lid. Society sometimes tries to eradicate them, but persevere with them. You never know
how influential they can be.