Antonio Stradivari, a poor Italian violin maker, transformed discarded wood into priceless violins, illustrating that worth can arise from humble beginnings. His instruments, created from waterlogged timber, echo the message of the Incarnation, signifying potential for transformation and beauty within all, as expressed in the scriptures of Ephesians and Philippians.
“Tell out my soul!”, Mary sings triumphantly. Her song isn’t just a series of lovely quotations. It defines the meaning of Christmas. That expresses the joy of a mother over her expected son and also the purpose of his birth. Beyond the present celebrations, a new meaning to all our lives is given.
The unspeakable Jewish name for God in the Old Testament, ‘Yahweh’, is believed by Jewish scholars to have been breathed, inhaling and exhaling: “YaH-WeH”. This makes ‘God’ our first and last word and our first and last breath.
Our hometown isn’t just something outside, it’s within us. It’s not just a place, but our routines and habits, attitudes, beliefs, opinions, prejudices, assumptions, identity, and values. But what happens when someone comes to our hometown and says, “Follow me.”?
What is your Compass? ‘Compass’ comes from Old English and French, and is based on the Latin word – compassus – meaning: a circle or circuit, a limit, a way, or a route.
However much we dress up the nativity with tinsel and fairy lights, we cannot hide the real light that shines from the manger. Magic moments to be discovered each day.
The phrase ‘King for a Day’ and the tradition of April Fool’s Day are intertwined. Jesus rules a Kingdom with no borders to defend, no soldiers to defend it. It is a kingdom that inverts our very understanding of power. But it’s no joke.
The British are known for some unusual habits, one of them is the ability to queue. Some say it comes from the days of rationing during World War Two. Whatever the case, standing in line is like a form of limbo.  We are neither here nor there, and just have to wait. This is Advent Limbo.
Times of collective fear and terror are nothing new – it’s just that the object of our collective fears may change. When we have witnessed our world come to an end, we have to face the ultimate, apocalyptic question, who or what, do we really trust?
Next month the UN Climate Change Conference will convene from 30th November to 12th December in Dubai. It will comprise the 28th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 28). Continuing targets comprise of emissions reduction targets that align with reaching zero emissions by the middle of this century. And protecting communities and habitats vulnerable to the effects of climate change, mobilise finance to this end, and encourage new patterns of international co-operative working. These two very different, but related subjects, come to mind as I read the words in Mark’s Gospel in Chapter 12.
During the past year, this idea of ‘lost and found’, has come into my thinking time and again. Many people have often spoken to me about a year that has been ‘lost’, due to the Covid 19 pandemic – and I can understand why. I do not underestimate the precious treasures people have lost – be that family members, friends, jobs, or a sense of security and purpose. But some people have also spoken to me about what they have found.
For anyone who wishes to follow Jesus, the pivotal question is not, ‘Who do you say that I am?’ Instead, it’s implied by Jesus’ words that ends Mark chapter 8. That pivotal question is, ‘Who will you be now?’ In other words, what will we do that is different once we recognise Jesus as the Messiah, the Christ, the Son of the Living God? If we do nothing that is different, have we even answered the question: ‘Who will we be now?’
