Challenging, without feeding

If I want cheap publicity all I need to do is say something outrageous, then others react and it feeds my influence. Of course I can get people to forward on [re-Tweet] my comments, or perhaps invite a machine to do so. Something like 60% of Trump's Tweets are forwarded on automatically by bots.

So how do we challenge lies, hate, confusion, unrealistic demands, and so on without feeding the frenzy and giving them more air? It's nothing new of course, many films have flourished by being banned. The difference is scale. The messages bombarding us everyday are staggering.

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But we are a staggering number too, and the conversation out shopping + telephone call + chatting to a neighbour + text message + any number of times/ways we communicate add up to a considerable direct voice which doesn't feed falsehood.

There are times when a public opinion demands a public rebuff. A candidate for local elections claimed to be a Christian, while at the same time taking part in hate speech. Jesus Christ made it clear that everyone is of equal importance to God. Hating anyone is un-Christian, in fact Jesus told us to love our enemies!

For example, there were some who made a great show of their works of charity while a poor widow gave a penny. He said she'd given more of herself than they had. He spoke to religious and political leaders, but also to the marginalised: lepers, in many cases then women, thieves, bereaved, differently-abled. He loved sinners but hated sin.

He also told a story about a farmer who planted good seed, only for an evil neighbour to contaminate his field with weed seed. The two grew up together, and his workers asked if they should pull out the weeds. The farmer pointed out that in doing so they would pull out the good crop too; they should wait until harvest to sort things out. In others words, there are times we should concentrate on what is good without dissipating our energies on what drains us.

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The Brexit saga might be more wholesome if there was focus on the good. Adversarial parliamentary debate is becoming tedious. It may be that we need a new way of making quality decisions. You and I are unlikely to be part of that debate, but we can sweeten community life here.

Making connections

"I know just how you feel". No you don't, you've no idea because you've not experienced what I'm going through!

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A rough hug around my shoulders without words [tigers excepted] might be from someone who understands what it's like. Sometimes our connection with others is incredibly strong, at other times we just don't know what they are going through. This is true of amazing celebrations, and also of ghastly trauma.

Because Jesus was a man, some have argued that only men can be priests. He was a carpenter, murdered aged 33, never married, and was circumcised as a baby. So does that mean priests must be good with wood, have short careers, be of Jewish stock, and be celibate? Of course not. I was honoured to have the first woman ordained as a priest in Salisbury Cathedral as a colleague.

There are many connections can we make with Jesus' life. For 30 years he lived an ordinary life, apart from an unusual fascination with the teachings of those in Jerusalem Temple. His teachings are in ordinary language, usually illustrated by everyday occurrences: finding things, losing things, sorting out values, sowing seeds, family events, and so on. In fact his listeners complimented him on using language they could understand.

He never grew old, and was strung up on a horrific Roman gallows at the age of 33. Nailed on that cross he knew what it was to be trapped in a body, unable to move. Those with strokes or other disabling events or diseases can relate to that. He was a strong man, but sleep deprivation and torture weakened him so much that he was unable to carry the cross-beam to the crucifixion site. Simon was compelled to carry it instead, and in so doing carried out one of the greatest acts of worship ever.

Jesus never married or had a family, so there are areas of his life which might not link directly to our experience. However, he got caught in a 'domestic' between two sisters. He related well to children, and treated them with huge respect. These are examples which may give us indirect links.

The real thing is that God, who created and sustains the universe, became like one of us and knows what it is to be human. That's one reason why the cross is so powerful a logo: love and suffering intertwined, access to God's amazing gift of forgiveness.

So, Happy Easter!

Man-wrapping, exocets, and focus

By man-wrapping I don't mean wrapping up men, but men wrapping up presents! Some males I am sure will craft beautifully presented presents, but most make it pretty obvious it's not in their skill set. I discovered the solution: reusable bright bags of different sizes with ribbons and labels ready.

Select size, attach label, and pull ribbons ~ all done. And what's great is that I'm not adding to the mountain of paper collected after each Christmas. Incidentally, let's hear it for all the teams tidying up after us each year. They have such little time off themselves.

Jesus hardly preached any sermons. Why? It's because stories are often more powerful. With those generating fake-news [re-Tweeted far more by robots than people], a strong reaction only feeds the frenzy [generating more income for social media platforms]. So what do we do?

One option is to let lies go unchallenged, but then people start to believe them. It may be far more effective to get beneath the media radar by telling true stories, honourable yarns, and parables. The exocet missile was used to devastating effect in the Falkland's Conflict because it sneaked in beneath defence systems.

The open-air Carols and Baptisms at Sutton Poyntz were fantastic. It was a still night, with 350 or so gathered. Great hospitality was shown by the Mission Hall Gang, and even the donkeys joined in by baying during Away in a Manger.

But the Salvation Army were key, and it was fitting to introduce the new Captains Simon and Victoria Rowney to our community. Before she read the first lesson, I asked her how on earth she managed to keep going with all the music as well as looking after the destitute. She replied that it was by focusing on the heart of Christmas, God touching earth in the babe Jesus.

Nothing fake there.

Dancing in space

Imagine you're line-dancing in a small square hall. Your line moves forward with the music until you feel hemmed in by the wall in front of you, not much wriggle-room. Then the dance changes and you ease back away from that cramped feeling, and you can breathe freely again.

Johari came up with a similar idea encouraging us to dance in space. Sometimes it's something we can do for ourselves, but at other times it can only be achieved through others. The art is to make sure we grow fulfilled lives that include reserve capacity to cope with those times when there's too much going on.

A little stress is good. Deadlines can encourage high performance. Too much permanent pressure leads to overload, depression, and exhaustion. Every new new gadget can add to hassle, unless we tame them, and why not? God gave us a command to make sure we look after ourselves. 'Love your neighbour as you love yourself'. We often hear the first half without registering that we can only be true neighbours if we love ourselves.

I had a scam that made me laugh, but raised concerns until the 'punchline'. A message was left on my phone telling my my arrest warrant number, and pending execution! To find out more and avoid imminent death all I had to do was get in touch with Her Majesty's Revenue & Customs department. No doubt I would then be asked for personal details, and a ransom.

If I didn't have a fulfilled life because I was alone and frightened, my reaction could have been very different. Others have had scams about watching porn, needing to resend bank details etc etc. We need to have fresh air in our lives so we see things in perspective.

Incidentally, I recommend uk.whocalledme.net [notice 'net' not 'co.uk'] because it is community run and relies on trust. Some of the others are effectively scams which seek to make a profit from unwanted callers.

So Happy 2019, and may we encourage trustworthiness at every level, so we can live fulfilled lives. If you like, 'dancing in plenty of space'.

Access to Power

The Oxford Natural History Museum houses many ancient artefacts, including dinosaur fossils with enormous teeth. Descriptions are cut into the stone of the building. It could all be rather 'ancient and musty', but there is also a display of an E coli bacterium.

It's a model revealing amazing detail [only made possible through electron microscopes and the like] of an organism so deadly, common, and minuscule. The museum comes alive with such a range on display and helps visitors marvel at the miracle of our natural world, created and sustained by unimaginable Power.

As we celebrate Christmas, we engage with another side of that Power: its ability to become weak in order to be accessible. At one level such an idea is beyond comprehension, at another level it's as natural as parenting. Adults become weak in order to nurture their offspring, and in doing so they become accessible.

But of course it's not just a family thing because, as we nurture each other and learn to share, we grow up to be team players. As a planet we are coming to terms with challenges that can only be faced as 'Team Earth'. Anything else is too small. We're #makingadifference on climate change, plastic, and communication.

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However there are at least two other major challenges: sharing resources so economic migration ceases, and establishing sufficient spaces for all species to thrive alongside mankind.

Then we'll have received the Power of Christmas, and really grow up!

My best wishes and prayers to you and yours for a fantastic season, and for all the opportunities of the coming year. Our thanks to Iain for producing the Register to such an amazing standard.

One size ... and peace

I've really enjoyed taking weddings this year. There has been great variety, a mix of contemporary and traditional, and always a sense of meaningful fun. No two have been the same because each couple is different. Bookings are coming in for 2020

What suits one couple might really annoy another. I make sure they choose what's appropriate, and don't impose my tastes on others. Every couple has survived me trying to put them off getting married; most years some change their minds. Far better not to marry than tie the knot with the wrong person! One size doesn't fit all.

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The same is true of energy. I might find rock folk music is balm for the soul, whereas you prefer panpipes or chants. Wouldn't it be boring if we had the same tastes. And what energises us changes over time. Those who have the gift of young children might say all they want is sleep. Teenagers might say they enjoy being on the cusp of adult tastes, while still enjoying childhood games and traditions. 

In our Ridgeway Churches there's huge variety of worship, so all of us can find spaces. There are interactive times: Family Friendly, Café Church, Messy Church, or Bible Study groups. Traditional services abound: Holy Communion, Matins, Evening Prayer. And there are short hybrid occasions: Candlelight Evensong, informal Communion. One size doesn't fit all.

Regardless of our different opinions about Brexit, let's remember the true dividend isn't the bottom line or GDP or national identity or political persuasion or so many other things. It's peace!

Last century more blood was spilt in Europe than ever. The symmetry and strange beauty of thousands of graveyards and millions of graves mock us, and remind us of so many young wasted lives. Many too were maimed in body or mind. Egos, party allegiance, personal opinion or upbringing must recede before the great gift of peace in our time.

Jesus went further, and put forward a vision of peace that runs deep into the soil of our being, and satisfies the soul. It's his peace that knows no end. I recall a dairy farmer in his last days. I asked him if there was anything he wanted to tell me, and waited. I want to be cremated, and I'm at peace. What a treasure.

... as in heaven

As a child, the smell of pine needles and sea air triggered excitement at an approaching time on the beach. We would run down the snicket with buckets and spades. However, there were constant calls to look out for dog's mess, which created a third but unwelcomed smell.

Go down that path now and the contributions from dogs have all but disappeared. It's a trite example [unless you're a parent cleaning off contaminant] which shows that some aspects of life have improved. Unfortunately we litter like there's no tomorrow.

There's a great deal of positive work going on to check plastic pollution, and it's recognised as a challenge for mankind as a whole. You and I can make a difference. Small changes multiplied over and over really do count. By the way, my wooden toothbrushes are working fine [see my March View]. Every step brings a little more of heaven to earth.

Marie Curie was excited by the discovery of radiation, and spent a huge effort refining radium until she had a concentrated file of it which she carried about in her handbag. At supper parties she would open the bag to show off the blue glow. What she didn't realise is that the radiation was killing her, and possibly her guests. She died of cancer, and in her memory an excellent charity exists to this day.

Nowadays radiation is handled safely, and is a fantastic tool in the hands of medics. It supplies us with roughly 25% of our electricity, thanks to the work of those in the early days of the Winfrith site. It took around 120 years to understand what nuclear radiation is, and how to harness it.

Resurrection was discovered by another woman, Mary Magdelene [as told in John chapter 20]. Some of the earliest writings in the New Testament show that the phenomenon was poorly understood. St Paul implied that it was hardly worth holding down your day job, because Jesus was about to return.

120 years later writers of the New Testament see the resurrection of Jesus as demonstrating love is stronger than death. It wasn't an extension of Jesus' life, but a quality of living that knows no end. It gave us forgiveness that we could make fresh starts, and write a wholesome story with our lives, a touch of earth as it is in heaven.