7th July 2025

While working in my garden I heard a familiar sound, but it did not seem right, as it sounded like many low growls. Trying to find the source and digging through my flowers, I found several small kittens, quite frightened and alone. The first thought that came to mind was that the feral cat had kittens. She was in the process of moving them to another location. I watched as she came close and called them. They responded and started to follow her but as she rounded the corner, they lost sight of her and turned around and returned to their hiding place. This happened over and over again.

How this is like Christ I thought, calling his children to come and follow him, but we get distracted in this life and lose sight of him, and when we do, we return to our familiar ways. The love of Christ for us keeps him returning to us, calling us by name, urging us to come and follow him. Those kittens had faith that their mum would return for them. We wait in faith for the return of Christ. We are called to stand firm in our freedom in Christ and not become victim again to the things that enslaved us (Galatians 5:1). It is Christ and his freedom that we must rely on, put our trust in, and not in our weak attempts to earn his love. His love is real, his faith solid and we are the objects of this love.

We are called to have faith and express it in love toward one another. Just as Christ does not give up on us, so we must keep running the race and not give up until we cross the finish line. The feral cat eventually persuaded her kittens to join her in their new home. Christ is calling us to join him in his home, our new home. The only thing that counts is faith, we receive this faith from Christ, who will see to it that it is complete: ‘Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.’ (Hebrews 12:1-2). 

As Christ is love, so our faith is the result of love, Christ’s love. We have the example of Christ expressing his love towards us. The way we express our faith matters, but nothing can compare to the way Christ expressed his love for us: ‘…God demonstrates his love for us in this: While we were sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Romans 5:8).

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