Perspectives - Espace spirituel anglophone RCF - page 8

It is not unusual for me to find on my desk a piece of paper, or some other object, the origin of which I have no remembered knowledge. Such is the case with a Prayer Card entitled "The Canticle of Praise for the Media". There it is, staring at me and causing a problem in my mind. Praise for the Media ?

Today COP26 begins in Glasgow, billed as one of the most important meetings in the history of mankind. Le us hope that the coincidence of opening the conference on Halloween, feted throughout the world as a celebration of the dead, is not as inappropriate as might appear.

There is a promise of peace in Isaiah 54 verse 10. It is addressed to the people of zIsrael at a time when they faced invasion and exile. Was this promise fulfilled for them, and what is the relevance for us today? The first fulfilment of the promise took place 70 years after the Israelites were exiled, when Cyprus, King of Persia allowed them to return and rebuild Jerusalem. However, we look forward to the complete fulfilment withe the coming of the new heavens and earth after Jesus' Second Coming. Then, peace and wellbeing will replace sin and death forever. Meanwhile, however, the promise of peace is still for us, even though we face challenges and trials. Jesus promises to be with us to the end of the age and He will give us peace in the midst of all our trials.

When we are told in Romans: 3.23 “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”, why is it unacceptable to talk about ‘sin’. After all it affects us all! Perhaps there are different reasons for this. Pride can play a significant role. Shame is another factor, we are unable to admit even to ourselves the wrong things that we do or think and so suppress the guilt and live in denial. Again ignorance plays a part, mistaking sin for the really serious wrongdoing of mankind. However in the quote from Romans, sin is described as “falling short of the glory of God”! What is God’s glory? It is impossible to put into words but embodies all that He is, His holiness, power and love. His ‘otherness’. Throughout the Bible we find that all who are faced with this are overcome! However, because of His great love for us God has made a way for us to come into His presence, forgiven and cleansed from sin. All this He did for us through the costly death on the Cross of His son Jesus, a free gift to all who will accept it.

Fairness is not to be expected from God, even if scripture insists that he loves justice, equity and right. When he pays us wages, they are an advance against what he expects from us in the future, not the reward of merits we think we have achieved.

The news is full of images of people displaced by war, ethnic cleansing, economic distress. Climate change is making things worse, and a pandemic is the last thing we needed. Or is it? Some displacement can be a positive choice; we could do worse than rediscover the true nature of holidays.

We inhabit an innocent world. But we live in a world of lies and illusion. Unlike us, the natural world and all things in it are true to themselves. We may not always like that truth, but it is what it is. For example, we don't like it when our cat catches birds. But it's what cats do. He's only being true to himself. Truth is. It's an absolute ; the only reality. The cat is living in reality. But when we veer from the truth, knowingly or not, we are entering the world of illusion – unreality, where we will lose ourselves.

In the days before selfies and video clips, people who went on holiday sent one another post cards: “Having a wonderful time; wish you were here”. There's a scene in the bible, in St Mark's Gospel, which we heard a few weeks ago, where we come nearest to seeing Jesus in holiday mood. It's a little snapshot really. The disciples have just come back from their first missionary outreach, sent out two by two to preach the good word and evangelize, taking no money, no snacks for the journey, wearing just what they stand up in ... And they've come back, weary, hungry, and because they are a bit excited by the adrenalin rush, ready to share all they have experienced with whoever is ready to listen. And Jesus, knowing exactly what they need, encourages them to take a little recovery time, away from the crowds, where they can debrief and generally unwind.

In his talk last Sunday, Derek referred to the woodpecker- or rather the varieties of woodpecker - as an example of God's extravagance towards us.