Harmony of Grace

Romans 4:13-25 Today we carry on with our reflections on Abrahams story.  Many believe that Abraham was called and sent by God because he was such a good person. The apostle Paul reminds us, in his letter to the Roman church, that Abraham was seen as righteous because of his faith, not because of his actions. Paul goes on to remind us that Abraham's faith was not only accredited as righteousness to him personally, but to his descendants as well. Isn't it incredible how one person's faith can have such a tangible, lasting impact on generations of people to follow? Abraham's faith is praised because he "gave glory to God, even in the midst of doubt and unbelief" (verse 20). We are going to struggle with doubts and unbelief in our life, but to have faith like Abraham means continuing to trust in God and "being fully persuaded that God has the power to do what God has promised" (verse 22). If we have faith in God in this way, then even when we fail to li...

This past week, my dad took our family on a 10-day tour of the UK with the intention of hunting down our family roots and discovering the origin of the Taylor name. It was an awesome trip and we got to experience some truly beautiful areas, making memories together that will last forever. We spent a lot of time in Scotland viewing some of the majestic castles and villages that the Taylor clan used to reside in, some of them are still in good condition while others are sitting in ruins. Throughout the trip, as we sat in the local pubs and the small living rooms of our Airbnb's, my dad shared the stories of the origin of the Taylor clan - wondrous stories about an abandoned, illegitimate child of the Cameron Clan who was raised by the local village tailor (hence the name), eventually becoming a fierce warrior known for his dark, relentless side when in battle. It is a blockbuster tale that would make a seriously good book! This trip reminded me of my other heritage, th...

This year in South Africa we celebrated the 100th birthday of Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela. Although he is unfortunately not with us today, he left a strong legacy that will last for many generations to come. A legacy that perpetuates the values of peace, reconciliation, inclusion, passion and freedom. The Mandela Marathon is an annual event that was inaugurated in 2012 to honour the life and times of arguably one of South Africa's greatest ever icons. The theme of this year's Mandela Marathon was Keep Running the Legacy . As I participated in the event on Sunday, I was inspired to experience many aspects of this legacy in action throughout the duration of the day.  The route of the race is challenging and there were some tough sections where I was tempted to begin walking, but my fellow comrades encouraged me to push through the pain and keep on going, symbolizing the fighting spirit that Mandela epitomized with his life. The amount of support from the many wa...