When Allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy in June 1944, they didn’t expect to meet much in the way of resistance. The biggest naval bombardment in history had been launched against German defences, and just before landing 5,000 rockets were fired against German positions. It should have been enough to neutralise the enemy. But it wasn’t. The majority of shells fired that morning turned out to be sinners – the military term for a shell that misses its target.
Most of us take offence at the idea that we might be sinners, but the military definition reminds us that it simply describes our human nature. Even by the low standards we set ourselves we all know that we’ve fallen short in so many of the things we think, say or do. More seriously the Bible tells that we have all fallen short of God’s standards, and like the shells that missed the mark on D-Day, the consequences can be just as devastating.
That’s why Jesus is such good news, because he came to save us from our sins. When we give our lives to him, he forgives us for every time we’ve fallen short and gives us strength to get closer to the target.
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