Joshua, Chapter 2, Verse 8-9
8Before the spies
lay down, Rahab went up to them on the roof 9and said: “I know that the LORD has given you the land, that a dread of you has
come upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land tremble with fear because of you.
Rahab saved the spies of
Israel. Why? She knew the truth that
God was with Israel. Rahab was a survivor and a sinner; she knew God had given
the land to Israel. If you know the truth you do not swerve from it. Rahab was
saved from the fate of Jericho because of her action not just good will toward
Israel. James in his epistle puts it this way: 20Do you want proof, you ignoramus, that faith without works is useless? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works
when he offered his son Isaac upon the altar? 22 You
see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by the
works. 23 Thus the scripture was fulfilled
that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,”
and he was called “the friend of God.”24 See
how a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25
And in the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works
when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out by a different route?
Rahab was saved by her
faith and actions by the God of Israel and as a result she is not only saved
but the Christ the Messiah descends from Boaz her son.
Mid-Lent,
the week from the Wednesday before to the Wednesday after Laetare
Sunday, is a note of joy within the context of sorrow. The perfect
symbol of this complex emotion is the rose vestments worn on Laetare
Sunday instead of penitential purple or exultent white. Rose stands somewhere
in between, as a sort of joyous variation of purple. The last day of Mid-Lent
is when catechumens would learn the Apostles' Creed for the first time; the
days leading up to that great revelation were thus for them a cause for
gladness. This spirit eventually permeated to the rest of the community as
"a measure of consoling relaxation... so that the faithful might not break
down under the severe strains of the Lenten fast but may continue to bear the
restrictions with a refreshed and easier heart" (Pope Innocent III (d.
1216)). Mid-Lent customs predominantly involve pre-Christian celebrations
concerning the "burial" of winter, where flower decorations
and the like betoken the joyous end of the cold and dark. There are also
customs involving either matchmaking or announcing the engagements of
young couples. In either case, a joyous meal is celebrated during this time. In
England Laetare Sunday came to be known as "Mothering"
Sunday because it was the day that apprentices and students were released
from their duties to visit their mother church, i.e., the church in which they
had been baptized and brought up. This custom tied into the theme of Mother
Jerusalem.
World Water Day[2]World Water Day serves to raise awareness about water issues such as sanitation problems and water shortages in many parts of the world. Today, 1 in 10 people lack access to safe and clean water, a problem which has a direct impact on the economy, health of the population and well-being of women and children worldwide. In 1992, World Water Day was proposed at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development. The United Nations General Assembly responded to the proposition in 1993 by declaring March 22 as World Water Day. Each year, the UN-Water agency allocates a theme corresponding to a current or potential challenge for World Water Day.
World Water Day Facts &
Quotes
·
The theme for the 2017 World Water Day is Wastewater.
·
In developing nations, nearly 80% of illnesses
can be linked to poor water and sanitation conditions.
·
Russia's Lake Baikal and North America's Great
Lakes hold about 40% of the world's fresh water supply, the large remainder of
the freshwater supply is in the form of icecaps and glaciers.
·
According to UNICEF, diarrhea is the second
leading cause of death among children under the age of 5 in the world.
·
You ain't gonna miss your water until your well runs dry. - Bob Marley
World Water Day Top Events and
Things to Do
·
Don't waste water!!! Make a conscious effort to
use less water on World Water Day and on other days. Some ways to reduce water
consumption include, showers instead of baths, washing full loads of clothing
only and turning off the tap while washing dishes and brushing teeth.
·
Donate to a charity
or organization that supports water issues in developing nations. WaterAid is an organization that works in
poor countries to set up and maintain water sources, UNICEF and UNCHR also provide support
and relief efforts to improve water sanitation and hygiene globally.
·
Volunteer to help clean up trash and other
debris along a beach or shore. This garbage and debris pollutes the water that
we need in our daily lives.
·
Watch documentaries about water-related issues
such as pollution, contamination and diseases. Our top picks are Troubled
Water, The Fight for Water, Flow for the Love of Water, Tapped,
Thirst and Dhaka's Cholera Wars.
·
Take part in a local World Water Day
celebration, such as a film screening or a water conservation event. One of the
largest events, the White House Water Summit in Washington DC, will be
livestreamed.
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