Terrorism

Terrorism. What is its purpose? Clearly, it is designed to intimidate and frighten its victims into living in a perpetual state of fear and anxiety.

This morning’s news reveals unfolding information regarding the terrorism attacks upon westerners at the Taj and Oberoi hotel, as well as several other key locations in Mumbai. Hotels, hospitals and railway stations have been attacked. A Rabbi, abducted from a Jewish community centre, is being held hostage.

Even as soldiers attempt to escort guests out of the hotels, terrorists have levelled their machine guns against the groups, spraying them with bullets. Television access has been cut off and Westerners have barricaded their bedroom doors with furniture whilst phoning media offices such as the BBC, CNN and Sky News, begging for help and information.

As this fearful scenario unfolds, one of the international news stations has already brought on several of their seemingly endless number of ‘consultants,’ all with grim faces and critical of whatever it is that is being done as a response to the unfolding story. This, even before the sun has risen on the East Coast of America.

‘Don’t travel’ is the most common admonishment. But sadly, that it precisely what the terrorists want. They want Western society to not only stay away – they want us to run in fear.

Whilst still an emerging nation with many internal challenges, such as the elimination of the caste system and the protection of women’s and children’s rights, India declares their freedoms are inviolate. Just as with most other countries in the world: they would not lightly accept a change to those freedoms, simply because there are those outside, or even within their nation, who wish to corrupt a civil society. And we should not lose track of the fact that this assault against innocent people is not simply an assault against India, it is an assault upon of all nations who fly the flag of democracy!

In Britain, we have already adapted to the realities of terrorism, violence and aggression, by our acceptance and recognition that we have the most extensive surveillance system in the world. In London and other major cities, virtually every street, every corner, mews, alleyway, etc., is monitored by overt and covert CCTV’s.

But for us to take any steps to impede the free movement or passage of a citizen would violate every principle of our society. More importantly, it would send a signal to terrorists that they are winning – that they are moving to the forefront of the minds of our citizens – that their strategy to create fear and doubt and misery is succeeding.

Terrorism must be and is being addressed as a multinational effort. The sharing of information between countries to track the movement of suspected terrorists is essential. And sadly, despite how much we agonise over the prospect of every citizen having to carry an identity card, it appears to be the only option of ever being able to really ascertain who a person is.

The tragic events occurring today should serve as a stark reminder that we live in uncertain times. Let us offer our prayers for those who are in fear and at the same time give thanks for the comforts we have.


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Loving God, Comfort those who are in fear today. Protect all who travel through this day, whether as passengers or as staff. Help us in our own fears and uncertainty, and bless us with the knowledge that we are always secure in Your love. Give wisdom, and strength to all those who work for peace throughout our lands. Amen

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It's Life Jim But Not as We Know It

Thank You Sarah

When The Church Sins

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Why is Life so Hard

It is part of our social composition to want to better our lives. We’re constantly bombarded with advertising that strongly suggests that if we don’t have the latest gadgets, or the latest fashion statement, we may as well jump off a bridge…at least some perceive it this way.

We work hard and honestly and we struggle to make ends meet. But at times it seems as if we’re farther behind than when we started. As we watch the years pass by ever faster and faster, we can grow impatient and can even fall victim to despair: Why is life so hard? I try to do the right things, so why don't I have more to show for my efforts? Why do cheaters always prosper? Does God really know or care what's going on? What kind of friend is God? After all this time, what reason do I have for believing that virtue really pays?

The prophet Malachi summed up those fears and frustrations when he quoted some of his own contemporaries: 'It is vain to serve God; and what do we profit by keeping his command?' That is surely the way it seems at times. And when those times come, we need to have an answer that is deeply etched in our soul, an answer that comes from the inside.

That answer won't be there, on the inside, if we've been living our life totally on the outside. If our 'spirituality' has consisted of 'getting our visa stamped,' just showing up at church and putting in our time, then we won't have come to know the Lord, we won't have come to see the world through His eyes, and there will be no answers and no spiritual power within us.

If on the other hand, we've come to know not only the words, but the Lord who gives life and meaning to the words, then when the inevitable doubts and challenges come, we'll know the truth on the inside and no words will need to be spoken.

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Our gracious God, we rejoice when we come to know You better. Remain within us throughout this day. Guide us, protect us and let Your love be our driving force always. Amen

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It's So Easy to Judge Others

Who Are We Forgetting?

Words of Comfort for the Dying

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Never Forgotten

There are so many times in our lives when we struggle to achieve goals only to find that we’ve fallen flat on our faces. It happens in every facet of our lives. Oh, and sometimes, I tend to feel it happens even more so when you’re involved in charities.

People make promises and promises, never once seeming to realise that those ‘promises’ are accepted as truths by others, especially children. As a consequence, they become depended upon. And then they break that promise.

Having to tell a child that something is not going to happen because of a broken promise can be especially painful when it involves children who already have nothing in their lives. Some of the children claim that God has forgotten them, or that they’re being punished because they’re not ‘good enough.’ But as adults, we know this is not true.

In the days of King David and his son King Solomon, the Israelites were supremely confident that they were indeed God's chosen people. Anyone who doubted it need only look at the splendid temple that Solomon built and the elaborate ceremonies and sacrifices that went on there from dawn to dusk, year after year.

And then after Solomon's death came the division of the kingdom, north and south, and later the destruction of both kingdoms, with their populations carried off as captives in strange lands.

How far they had fallen, and how thoroughly alone they felt as they wept at night so far away from home. And worst of all, they were certain that their sins had put them there. They felt they deserved their misery, and it seemed as if it would never end. ‘God has forsaken me; my Lord has forgotten me,’ was their lament. But it wasn't true.

God spoke to them; ‘Could a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for the child of her womb? Even should she forget, I will never forget you.’ And indeed, the Lord brought them home to their own land, and helped them rebuild their lives.

Sometimes we feel alone and forgotten, and sometimes we may jolly well deserve it. But, whatever the case, God never forgets us and He never withdraws from us.

Turn your eyes inward to where He lives and where He never leaves. And you will see: You are never alone.


Gracious and loving Lord, You are always with us. Lead us, guide us, teach us to accept Your mysteries. Protect us during our times of need. Forgive us when we fail. But always lead us back to Your light. We pray this in Your Son’s name. Amen

Angels Among Us

Who Are We Forgetting?

Exploited Children

Maybe You Need a Little Dog in Your Life!

Milestones

A friend wrote me to say he was preparing for his son’s wedding. My friend is in his sixties and a joyous event such as this represents a lovely milestone. It leads me to think of others – births, Baptisms, Confirmation, graduations, and any event that draws us forward, until we reach that time when we’re able to look back upon our journeys with sweet memories.

Through each of these, all of life’s possibilities seem stretched out before us, and most of their costs are still hidden from view. It’s so much like the beginning of a summer day: soft breezes, sweet smells, lush gardens and sunshine. And then before you know it, you’re in the autumn of your years and it’s time to prepare for the siege of winter.

If we’re working hard to be faithful to our goals, to God, and to one another, and trying to do our best and to share our gifts, we can become tired. And sometimes after a while, things that were fresh and new and even a joy can become a burden instead.

So how does this happen? Is it simply a matter of working too hard and getting tired? Not really. The real problem is losing our vision, our sense of purpose, which can come only from that trust-connection we build with God.

If you find yourself burning out along your journey and are finding life burdensome, spend some time renewing your vision and remembering where you’re headed. And the only place to do that is in His presence. He’ll help you remember, and He’ll give you back your joy.



Father God, we thank you for all the good things in our lives. You sent Your Son to die for us so that we may have a relationship with You. Thank you for loving us and giving us the renewal of spirit so that we may serve You always with newness of heart. Amen

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Are You Suffering From Spots or Wrinkles?

The Book in The Attic

Wanted: Part-Time Wife

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Look Both Ways!

I've been particularly mindful of children and their parents over the past few weeks. This weekend, as I stood at a traffic crossing, I listened to a mother earnestly explain to her small son why it was so important that they should always stop and look both ways before attempting to cross the road. It was a simple comment from a loving parent, but woven in an embracing cloak of nurturing responsibility and love.

Raising or teaching children is an awesome responsibility that has its challenges and rewards. Think of it: God has given some of us the responsibility of caring for a living being who is created in His image. When we offer our children to God we are acknowledging that we are stewards, not owners. We are also acknowledging that one day we will stand before God and answer for how we brought them up. Truly, our children are our greatest gift from God and the enormity of the task should sober us.

Each day is joy drenched with anxiety. If you experience a bit of anxiety about raising your children, it suggests that you’re on the ball and your children will benefit in the long-run. And if that isn’t enough of an incentive, you could take the fear route...

Remember, when you become old and grey, it’s your children who get to select your nursing home!

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Gracious and loving God, You have blessed us with the greatest gifts in our children. Help us to embrace them with knowledge of life and especially knowledge of the love You give to us. We pray this in Christ's name. Amen

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It's Tempting To Just Run Away

When We Need a Little Help

Fast Tracks to Hell

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Good Habits Bad Habits

Whack the alarm with your out-stretched hand, thank God for a new day, shuffle off to the kitchen to set the kettle to boil, let the dog out, collect the post, kiss your children, brush your teeth. Ah…routine and habits combined!

Routines and habits can be real blessings. They can get us through the most boring parts of life, like our early morning routines, with barely a thought or a strain. With their help we just plod forward. Routines and habits can carry us along when we’re tired and they can keep us going in the right direction when we could easily wander off.

Good habits of living and thinking can do us the favour of setting off alarm bells when we’re tempted to do something stupid. Habits can be real blessings - but only some of them are in fact.

The other side of habits is that they can blind us to the most obvious of evils and the most ridiculous of life patterns. This is especially true when a habit of thinking and acting is a part of the culture in which we live. It’s always just been there and we’ve never thought about whether it’s right or makes sense or not.

That’s where the Pharisees in Jesus’ time were caught, inside their own inherited habits of thinking and being. It led them to do and say a lot that made no sense. And it left them floating along on the surface of life, never seeing or finding its real purpose or meaning.

All of this leaves us with a crucial question: What are we taking for granted and just not looking at? Has habit blinded our hearts to the needs of others or to the consequences of our daily choices? Take time to look at the things you take for granted. There are almost certainly some surprises waiting for you!



Holy Father, help us to realise when we fail to see all that surrounds us. Your world gives us such beauty and majesty in each and every thing. Guide us that we may be a witness to Your love so that others may learn to see as well. And as Your servant, may all the decisions we make, on behalf of others, be full of Your wisdom and love. Amen

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When You Think God Isn't Listening

Wanted: Part-Time Wife

How To Be The Best Waitress in The World!

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The Childrens Story Visit Our Children Exploited Children

It Only Takes One Rotten Apple

Have you made any positive contributions within your community? There’s an old saying about one rotten apple spoiling a whole barrel, and it’s true. We can see it in business, in churches, in sports - almost anywhere. The power to influence people around us is far too undervalued.

The Apostle Paul expressed his concerns about the likely consequences of the conspicuous misbehaviour of one member of the community at Corinth. ‘A little yeast has its effect all through the dough,’ he frets. And he’s right! Regardless of our position, each of us has an impact on the family.

So it’s fair to ask, what effect is our way of living, speaking, driving, working, praying, sharing or not sharing, having on the people around us? Are we encouraging or discouraging them? Do they walk more readily and confidently with God because we are here, or do they pull away because of us?

God has given each of us great power for good in the force of our example. How are we using that power?


Loving God, we offer ourselves as Your servants, to be the strength for those who have no strength, the voice for those who cannot speak, the friend for those who have no friends. But as we serve You Lord, help us to be a guide, rather than a controller, a spirit lifter rather than a spirit destroyer and the hands of one who loves, rather than one who controls. May the strengths You bestow upon us always be used to glorify Your name and help Your children. In Christ’s love, we pray. Amen

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Making Bread

When We Need a Little Help

Spots or Wrinkles

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Cyber Baby Logic

This past weekend I cleaned out a cabinet drawer. Every home has one - that drawer where you place things, believing that you 'might' wish to revisit sometime. Our drawer had a collection of CD’s that were given to us several years ago. None of them had sufficiently appealing titles to entice us to pursue loading them in our player or computer. One of the disks had the title of ‘Cyber Baby.’ And the tag line beneath the title was ‘Care for your own baby just like a real one.’

I thumbed through the instructions, in disbelief, as the poorly translated English (this having originated in Japan), explained that it would provide all the joy and happiness of having your own baby without the pain of giving birth!

And it said that the more care and love you showed it, the better the baby would thrive. There were instructions on where to click to make the baby laugh and giggle, a cyber bottle to feed it, and a series of icons for various toys. There were even icons for changing the baby, should it encounter cyber-soiling and require a change of nappies.

If only life were so simple! But it's not. As humans, we scramble along, trying our best to walk in Jesus' footsteps, we get a full dose of life's shocks, surprises, and general untidiness. And we find ourselves asking, ‘Was I absent when they had the class on this?’ There was no class! And the road map that Jesus gave us for following in His footsteps isn't very detailed.

The main roads are obvious: Love God with all your heart, and love your neighbour as you love yourself. But how to get to those roads — and how stay on them — is often very difficult to see. How to love wisely and well, how to be true friends, how to find our gifts and carry them where they needed, how to keep going when we get tired and it gets dark: Trying to walk in Jesus' footsteps can be very confusing, and sometimes we can feel scared and alone.

That's why Jesus' words mean so much to us: ‘I will not leave you as orphans,’ He says. You don't have to walk alone. I'm giving you an advocate, a mentor, the Holy Spirit of God, to be with you and guide you at every step of the way. The Spirit will help you see the path, and will give you the heart and the energy to walk it.

But you must listen carefully, for the Spirit whispers very softly, and often speaks when you're not expecting Him to speak at all. The Spirit seldom says what you expect or what you're ready to hear - so you'll have to listen with an open heart, if you want the truth.

Trust can help you hear. The Spirit knows what is true and loves you even more than you love yourself. Trust that, and step-by-step, you'll find your way home.

Remember: Happiness comes from within, not from a CD.

Lord God, grant us wisdom to share Your word, in such a way that those who need spiritual food may feel fulfilled. Help us to listen, both to You and to those in need. Our trust is in You and it is in Christ’s footsteps that we follow. Amen

Alone Time

Fast Tracks To Hell

Falling In Love at Clapham Junction

Victims of our Own Crime

So what’s wrong with a tiny transgression, just a little lie, or a small deception? I suppose if you’re the perpetrator, that would make the other party the ‘victim.’

But actually, when we sin, we ourselves are the first victims of our own ‘crimes.’

Every sin we commit, regardless of its size, damages our spirit by reinforcing one of the negative pathways in our soul. It takes us a little further into ourselves and a little further away from God. Once we’ve jumped that hurdle of sin for the first time, each additional time becomes easier and easier. Eventually we become the very people we loathe. As a consequence it becomes ever easier to turn our backs on God and everyone else.

Those repetitive sins cause us to distance ourselves and cut ourselves off from the only source of true joy. Just as with a drug addict, it’s a downward spiral that can ultimately leave us in total isolation and trapped inside a hardened heart. My goodness, what better definition is there of hell itself? But God didn’t do this to us. We did it ourselves, once choice at a time, until we become lost in a lifeless and loveless world.

God's attitude towards us never changes. He's always waiting to take us back into His embrace. But it's very hard to escape from a truly hardened heart, as we can see so clearly from observing the Pharisees.

In fact, there's only one way out of that cold, bitter place, and that is by doing what we may have nearly forgotten how to do: looking beyond our own needs to the needs of others, giving instead of taking.

As we begin to do that with God's help, we are in fact returning to the 'scene of the crime' and repairing the damage we've done to others. In the process, our own hearts begin to heal, and more and more we can receive the love that God and His people have been trying to give us all the while.

There's healing and repair work to be done in all of us. Why not let God help!

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God of compassion, grant us peace so that our souls may radiate that peace towards others. Heal us, Lord, so that we may heal others. Love us Lord, for we are sinners, so that we may share Your unwavering love with others. Unite us Lord, so that we may all celebrate Your love as one. Amen

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Alone Time

Having A Good Death

When Friends and Family Are Needed Most

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Red Balloons

It was another busy day on the London Underground. As the doors of the tube opened, a single mother with a Downs Syndrome child pushed her way in. At the other end of the same carriage another mother with two small boys, each holding red balloons, also managed to get inside.

Despite the mother's best efforts, the child with Downs was screaming and shouting. Nobody moved to offer them a seat. Backs were turned, books and newspapers were raised; everybody kept their heads down.

Then I noticed the other mother speaking to her two boys. Seconds later the two boys, with their red balloons, made their way through the crowded carriage towards the distraught child. When they reached her, somewhat reluctantly, they handed the mother and her child their two balloons.

At that moment, the child stopped crying and struggling in her mother's arms. She took hold of the balloons and a huge smile came to her face. Two red balloons - an unexpected and unsolicited gift - calmed the tormented child.

As the boys rejoined their mother, heads were raised. People began to clap and to thank the boys for their kindness. For a moment there was a real sense of community in that carriage.

It took a simple act of generosity to calm a mother and her child. It took that act to free the rest of us from our inhibitions and fears of becoming involved.

It took the exchange between those two little boys and a tormented child to help us discover for a moment, the true meaning of what it means to be alive and together in community.

Lord, into our loneliness and pain this day, pour Your compassion and Your love. Amen.

Posted for Fr

Go Ahead Take Your Best Shot

Have I Told You Lately That I Love You?

Who Are We Forgetting?

Anglicans

Obeying The Rules

Have you ever watched someone make an illegal turn in the road and wished to yourself that a police officer were nearby to witness it?

There's something of the policeman in most of us. Perhaps it comes from being given so many rules as children — and so many of those little ‘talks’ from parents, teachers, and others about the importance of obeying rules. The fact is, of course, laws and rules can be liberating. They can make life safer and more secure, and they can free us from having to think much about lots of ordinary things. But they can also be spirit-killers.

That was the case in the first generation of Christians, when converts from paganism to Christianity were also required to observe all the religious rules and regulations of orthodox Jews as well. It was a huge burden, under which most of Jesus' contemporaries had been spiritually crushed or had simply given up. And it was so unnecessary, so utterly besides the point of Jesus' teaching, which was to bond to the Lord and to one's neighbours in self-giving love — to love as one wants to be loved.

But old habits die hard, whether they make any sense or not, and it took the Apostles a long time to eventually see the truth. When they did see, they set out to set the people free.

Isn't that what we really want to do for one another — set one another free from the things that don't matter, the things that can't give us life?

Try today to be a liberator rather than a policeman!

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Christ Jesus, You have set us free in spirit to grow not only as individuals but as one within Your family. May we always dance within the light of Your love, rather than in the darkness of oppression. Because of You, we are truly free! Amen

posted for fr bill

When We Need a Little Help

How to Identify Your Brother

Who Are We Forgetting?

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We Can Hear His Voice

Here in our English countryside we have many shepherds. They take care of their sheep from its infancy onwards.

Because of this, the sheep become familiar with the shepherd and recognise him even when it doesn't understand him. Sheep are not the brightest of God’s animals, but it does recognise the familiar vocal sounds of the shepherd.

In the same way, for centuries we as a Church have responded to the voice of the Good Shepherd long before we have figured out what He was saying. This is why the Church could worship Jesus as God long before it was able to iron out the mysteries of the Trinity or how His death was for our sins. We sheep knew the Shepherd's voice long before we figured out His words.

When He took to himself the Name of God and said, 'I Am,' we knew it was truth long before we knew how we knew it was truth. Most revelation just like the revelation of falling in love happens this way. The miracle occurs and hits us squarely between the eyes, in a way that is astounding yet undeniable.

We then spend the rest of our lives trying to articulate what happened to us. Fortunately we are not sheep; only like sheep. God has given us voices to articulate rather than just bleat. But what we articulate is always going to be a follow-up to what the Shepherd has shown us and where He has led.

May we always walk in the ways He has shown us through the shepherds He has given us.

Holy Father, bless our leaders, our bishops, and those who carry us when we need help. Let our leadership be strong, but always with You and through You. For with Your love, we may take care of our own flock, just as Christ took care of His. Amen

I tell you the truth, Jesus answered, before Abraham was born, I am! John 8:58

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It's Life Jim, But Not as We Know It!

We Are Never Alone

When Morning Dawns

Landscapes

Our Sussex coastline is arguably among the most beautiful scenery on our planet. It's not difficult to see God's hand in a brightly sunlit landscape on a beautiful Autumn morning. I consider it truly an honour to live here.

But if the challenge of George Herbert's hymn is to see God in all things, then a country landscape becomes the easy bit. What about inner cities and shantytowns? What about the crumbling sarcophagus around the nuclear reactor at Chernobyl - or the landscapes of Eastern Europe scarred by rusting factories and pollution. What about the sprawling favelas of Rio de Janeiro and the impoverished villages of sub-Saharan Africa, the shacks along the road leading into Mumbai?

And over it all looms the disputed question of climate change - the growing impact of global warming on the diversity and richness of our natural world. It all looks like a world from which God has been squeezed out.

Or maybe not. Perhaps we can see Him - shaking His head over our so imperfect efforts to use what we have been given to create wealth and quality of life - helping us to learn how to build the new without damaging the old and to begin to find answers to the long term questions of climate change and the environment so that what God has given to us, we can hand on to others.

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Teach Me My God and King

In all things Thee to see

And what I do in anything

To do it as for Thee

Gracious Lord, You have bestowed upon us a world of beauty and wonder. Teach us to recapture our child-like sense of awe when we look at our world – Your world, that we may see beyond the minutiae of our own flaws and embrace the true beauty that is before us. Amen

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Having a Good Death

Your Preference - Spots or Wrinkles?

Falling in Love at Clapham Junction