The World is being Shaken!

But now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of what is shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain (Hebrews 12:26-27)

Hebrews 12:26 has been echoing in my bones since I read it again this week – “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” The verse reverberates in me, and in a world that feels like it’s trembling under the weight of injustice, violence, and spiritual fatigue, I find myself wondering: ‘What is God shaking loose, and what are we supposed to cling on to?’

On my computer desktop I keep a handful of graphic images. One of them is a 1936 black-and-white photo of August Landmesser.

You’ve probably seen the image. It’s of a Nazi rally where every member of the crowd is giving the Heil Hitler salute – everyone, that is, except one man who has his arms folded firmly across his chest. That man is believed to be August Landmesser, though, predictably, after the war, others were keen to claim that it was them. The text under the photo that I have says, “Everyone thinks they are going to be this guy when the time comes. But the time came, and they aren’t.”

“I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens … so that what cannot be shaken may remain.”

The writer of the Letter to the Hebrews is quoting Haggai 2:6, a prophet who spoke to a people rebuilding their community and their temple after everything had fallen apart. God’s promise was for a cosmic shake-up that would reorder power, expose false foundations, and make space for something new and holy to arise. Today, we find ourselves being shaken again. Institutions are faltering. Certainties are crumbling. The ground beneath our feet – political, cultural, and ecclesial – feels unstable. I take another look at August Landmesser. He was unshakeable, though it cost him his life.

My mind goes to the lockdowns and the forced vaccinations we all endured a short time back. I’m not suggesting that all of us who refused to get the jab were heroes like Heir Landmesser, but I was flabbergasted by how many people went along with the crowd (so to speak) without seriously questioning what was going on.

And now our world is being shaken up again. In Gaza, the cries of children echo through the rubble that once was their home. In Syria, the scars of violence and silence stretch across generations. And in the prison cell where dear Dr Hassoun, former Grand Mufti of Syria, sits unjustly detained, the tremors of injustice are felt not just by one man but by all who believe in dignity, dialogue, and peace.

What I see in this verse from the Letter to the Hebrews is an assurance that this shaking we are experiencing is not the absence of God but rather the collapse of systems that cannot stand in the light of truth.

It is the exposure of violence masquerading as order and of silence pretending to be peace, and it is an invitation to hang on to the things that are unchanging and eternal in the hope of building something better.

“We are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken”, the writer of Hebrews assures us (Hebrews 12:28). That kingdom is not abstract. It is justice and mercy. It is solidarity across faiths, borders, and ideologies. It is the refusal to let any soul be forgotten, discarded, or dehumanised.

So let the earth shake. Let the heavens tremble, and let us be found standing with our arms folded in defiance, and not simply in defiance, but in defiant devotion to God and to God’s Kingdom. For the kingdom we await is not built on fear but on love, and love, as we know, is the most unshakeable force of all.

“Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable worship with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire!” (Hebrews 12:28-29)

August Landmesser

Our Sunday Eucharist

We enjoyed another wonderful Sunday Eucharist last weekend, and a special thank you to Diane Bates, who joined Andrew Logan and myself on the panel on short notice when our other Andrew (Madry) had to reschedule.

Last Sunday’s two most popular shorts are below, and I must confess that the stats surprised me this time. I’ve become accustomed to seeing videos that focus on Palestine or social justice issues getting the most attention, but the video below that features Andrew Logan speaking about celebrating God in everyday miracles has already had almost 1,000 views on YouTube alone!

As always, you can see all our shorts on our Sunday Eucharist Instagram page, or watch the our broadcasts in their entirety on our YouTube channel.

This coming Sunday we’ve had to do some more rescheduling, and for a very good reason. Our brother, Doug Pyeatt, was scheduled to join me and Wing Commander Scott Minchin for the next broadcast, but Doug’s dear wife, Tracie, was rushed to hospital mid-week in a serious condition!

When Doug called me mid-week, it seemed that Tracie had had a stroke and could be critical but, thanks be to God, when I spoke to him again this morning, not only was she safely back home but I could hear her laughing in the background! 😊❤️

None of this is to say that Tracie is out of the woods (so to speak). She still needs our prayers. Let’s pray together for Tracie’s health and strength, and for the whole family, including our beloved Doug and Jakob and Jakob’s younger sister, Birdie.

Doug and Tracie hope to both be with us for the broadcast on Sunday but not on the panel. Andrew Madry will be filling in for Doug this weekend, and, hopefully, Doug will be able to join me and Rev. John Queripel on the panel the following Sunday.

Invite your friends, please, by referring them to the Facebook Event Page or the Streamyard registration page. We broadcast, as usual, from noon (Sydney time) via TheSundayEucharist.com, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Faithia and Streamyard.

I do look forward to sharing this Eucharist with you. 😊

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What’s On?

Saturday, August 23 – Boxing at Legends Gym in Kensington from 3 pm
Sunday, August 24 – Our Eucharist from noon @ thesundayeucharist.com, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Faithia or Streamyard
Tuesday, August 26 – Boxing at the Mundine Gym in Redfern from 7 pm
Weds, August 27 – Bible study at 12.30 pm @www.sundayeucharist.com/bible
Thursday, August 28 – Boxing at the Mundine Gym in Redfern from 7 pm
Saturday, August 30 – Boxing at Legends Gym in Kensington from 3 pm

I want to close today by sharing the tribute video that I put together this week for my friend, Dr Hassoun of Syria.

Forgive me if you feel I’ve already mentioned the man’s plight one too many times today but I expect that his imprisonment and impending trial are going to be a major focus of my life until everything is resolved. I’ve now poured countless hours into researching his situation, making contact with other supporters, going through my own video interviews with him to extract useful material, and publishing and promoting videos like the one above.

I hope this video helps you get to know the great man a little better, and I’m asking you to pray with me – for Dr Hassoun’s health, for his freedom, for his restoration to his family, and for justice.

I’m hoping that the contacts I’m making with other supporters will help us coordinate an effective global campaign. In truth though, I’m not sure what to do and need divine wisdom to direct my energies. All I know at the moment is that the videos are being well received and are helping galvanise support and give encouragement.

So … please pray with me, share your wisdom with me, and work alongside me to bring justice and freedom to Dr Hassoun and to all the people of Syria. Continue to pray with me too for Gaza this week – perhaps most especially this week – as Israel is scheduled to initiate the final stage of its ethnic cleansing programme.

Indeed, we are in dark times. The Heavens and the Earth are being shaken. Even so, we hang on to the hope proclaimed in our text from the Letter to the Hebrews today – that the ultimate result of all this shaking will be the collapse of all the feeble constructs of human corruption, such that only divine love and truth are left standing.

Be of good courage. Keep the faith. Stay defiant!

Your brother in the Good Fight,