More than a week after the death of Osama Bin Laden there is continued concern over the relationship between the government, military and security forces in Pakistan with extremist terrorist groups.

President Obama appearing on 60 minutes this weekend declared his concern that there was a support network in Pakistan for bin Laden.

The cartoon above spells out some of the challenges facing Pakistan today. Are there any letters missing? (Cartoon by KAL)

In recent decades medical science has advanced at an amazing pace. Some familiar procedures like brain and heart surgery were, until recently risky and rare.

Now doctors and surgeons at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston are engaged in an amazing new challenge…

Face Transplants.

Dallas Wiens had his face burned off in 2008 when he accidentally hit a power-line while painting a church. Doctors described him as

quite literally a man without a face

In what is being described as “a new frontier in reconstructive surgery”, Doctors were able to grant Mr Weins a new lease on life with a new face.

Mr Wiens had endured two dozen operations since his accident. This most recent transplant has enabled  him to breath and smell for the first time.

The US military paid for the 15 hour procedure in the hope that wounded veterans may benefit from similar operations.

Mr Wiens made his first public appearance since the surgery on Monday (see video). He expressed his deep gratitude to his doctors for their groundbreaking work. Hospital officials are expecting some continued improvement to Mr Wiens’ condition.

Ephesians 1:3-6

³ Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. ⁴ For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love ⁵ hepredestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— ⁶ to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.

Reflection

What’s so glorious about “grace”?  Is it because we occasionally get a freebie here and there?  Maybe a complimentary dessert “gratis” at a restaurant, free shipping on an on-line purchase,or a “grace period” on an overdue bill makes us happy.  But true grace – God’s grace - is glorious because even though we didn’t earn or deserve it, God freely gave us all spiritual blessings, favors and privileges through Christ.  We have it all.  There is nothing more that we need.  Already deeming us washed by the blood of His Son, God chose us before creation to be holy and blameless.  He determined that we would be rescued from sin and death and we would be adopted as His very own.  Everything was all done in love, all designed out of His pleasure and will, and all given out freely to the praise of His glorious grace.

Responding to the Transmitted Message:

Let’s praise the Lord for the glorious grace he so freely gives us, his children, through His Son.  Let’s thank God for choosing and adopting us.  Let’s worship out of the true freedom we have in Christ.