On this date, June 6, in 1944 the invasion of Europe began. When I read about it the fact remains that the whole thing was a fragile victory. Any of a number of things could have happened differently and the landing could have failed.

The coming of Jesus into the world had an equally fragile future.

While Jesus the Messiah defeated sin and death, the human response makes the whole event rest on the verge of failure. If no one accepted the gift God gave, the price paid for sin and the door open to eternal life, the anguish of Jesus could have ended in futility.

For instance, the German institutional church supported the Nazi programme, and its portrayal of Jews as “Christ killers”. Caught in nationalism the church chose “power over” instead of “love for”. This betrayal of everything God is, all that Jesus taught and the reason the Messiah died seems unbelievable.

Except, think for a time. Was there an occasion when you’ve sided with those in power rather than with those who are in the right?

Did you remain silent when injustice was heaped on a child of God? Did you defend an action of your group even when it contradicted Bible teaching? Have you gossiped, or listened to gossip, and the slander destroyed the reputation of a servant of Jesus? Has any church board or committee that you sit on ever made a decision affecting another person, but the person wasn’t there, and the group had not spent hours in prayer, with the victim?

Power is never right, unless God uses it. So who do you side with?

As the saying goes, “Life is fragile – handle with prayer.”