Glory

 And she named the child Ichabod, saying, “The glory has departed from Israel!” because the ark of God had been captured and because of her father-in-law and her husband.

1 Samuel 4:21 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/1sa.4.21.ESV

I went to a church in Copenhagen. I call it a church, but at the time it was more of a pop up art gallery. The artwork was pretty profane too.

Someone had graffitied on the outside wall of the church 'God was here'. Maybe they were simply a deist who thought God isn't bothered about us. I prefer to think they were being more prophetic, like Ichabod's mother.

Israel was trusting in God's ark rather than God Himself. That's like us trusting in beautiful church buildings rather than God Himself. With the ark lost to the Philistines, Ichabod's mother declared the glory to have departed from Israel.

When church buildings become mosques, homes, shops, museums etc., we could well declare that the glory has departed. The church is at a low ebb in the West. We need the glory of God to descend upon us once again.

'God, please don't take Your glory away from us. May we ever live to glorify You. For the honour of Christ we pray, amen'

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