Reflection for Sunday 3 August - Feeding of the 5000

Thanks to Fr Robin Gibbons for this:

What does it mean for a Christian in fear of their life in Iraq, a Syrian Christian bombed out of home and church or a child whose whose family has been blown to bits in Gaza or somebody with the Ebola virus, to hear those words of Paul, ‘nothing can separate us from the love of Christ?’.  Would they find comfort in a pain beyond words, in a loss we can only vaguely acknowledge.
This is where pious platitudes and sentimental religion collapse, this is the point where the Christ of salvation loses his clothes and church finery, moves out of a safe sacramental world we create and becomes the bloodied Christ of the cross. The one who cries ‘ father forgive, they know not what they do!'.This is the point where the raw love of God remains our hope!
We are all complicit in the savagery of this world, we in the West have it so easy, but that cannot last.  If we follow the Lord the cross is ours to carry and transformation comes through bearing one another’s burdens.  Jesus in the Gospel sees the crowd and takes pity on them, but before he celebrates a meal with them he is active in curing the sick.  A message for us who have weekly Eucharist, that the beginning of our sacramental celebration lies with the care of real people, there the body of Christ is first encountered.  The needs of the poor, hungry, homeless come before our need for sacramental celebration which connects with our active love.
Isaiah shows us God literally calling people from want and need to life, but that, on this earth has to be through us! The scriptures are not simply pages in a book or nice poetic readings, they are God’s voice calling us to respond now!
But back to my initial question, how do people who have had far more suffering than we ever will know, who in a true sense take on sufferings far more painful than the Christ on the cross, find that love of God?
As I grow older I notice more that in the tangled mess and problems of the world, there is one thread that never snaps, somehow deep in all of this is the presence of Christ alive, loving, suffering with them.  The presence of that loving Christ is our constant loving care for these little ones!

Christian and Proud

Graduation Day (and 43 Wedding Anniversary)

At last all my studies have come to an close. Yesterday (Thursday 24 July) was graduation day at Westminster Cathedral. They said that it was 300 degrees, I am not sure if that was the number graduating or the temperature inside the Cathedral. Anyway it was a great day.
After the ceremony Julia and I went with Andrew and gaew to Gymkhana, an upmarket Indian restaurant in Albermerle Street. It was a fantastic meal, subtle twist on traditional Indian food. It is not cheap, but we dined off the early evening menu which made it affordable (just). We had the matching wines and they really did go well with each dish. Highly recommended!

Surrounded by young ladies!

With the love of my life

With John Hamilton - a fellow deacon

Caen Hill Locks

Spent yesterday with old college friends on Martin's narrow boat on the Kennet and Avon Canal at Caen Hill Locks - we do not do them all just the last 7 (there are 29 in total!) A great fun day which started with a pub lunch.

More American Photos

Walking in the high country at Tahoe

View from a house that was for sale - only $10.25m

Overlooking Lake Tahoe with Joan and Bruce

Mirros Lake at Yosemite

Mirror Lake, sadly much reduced thanks to the drought.

Jellyfish at the aquarium

With the Underwoods

Our final day and only trip to San Francisco

At Sausalito

Back from the US of A

On Tuesday we returned to the UK after spending almost a month in America. The reason for the visit was a reunion of the IBM ITSO (International Technical Support Organisation) that I worked for when I was on assignment in San Jose. California. Over 80 people attended the reunion coming form 18 countries and the span of service ran from 1972 to the present day. The reunion ran for four days, starting on Wednesday 11 June and ending on Saturday 14 June. It was a great occasion and it was wonderful to catch up with friends from across the globe.
When we decided to attend we thought that we might as well make it special, as you get older you are never quite sure how health will affect travel. So we started in Boston, then flew to San Jose for the reunion, then it was off to Tahoe to spend time with our friends Joan and Bruce, then to Yosemite National Park for four nights then back to SJ spending the last four nights with our friends Tim and Pat. They put on a party for us on the final Saturday - a great event. All in all a wonderful holiday one we will remember for many years.

View form our balcony in Boston

We did a walking tour!

View of the city from the harbour

Jazz Sunday brunch in Salem

Pacific Grove - we loved going there

Julia with friends at the reunion

At the Wente winery for dinner - I was MC

View from the our friends deck at Tahoe

Joan and Bruce with Teddy and Julia

Bodie, a deserted mining town on the way to Yosemite

Overlooking Mono lake

Half Dome from Tioga Pass

In the giant sequoia's

Nevada Falls

Tim and Pat

England Football Team

A seven year old boy was at the centre of a courtroom drama yesterday when he challenged a court ruling over who should have custody of him.

The boy has a history of being beaten by his parents and the judge initially awarded custody to his aunt, in keeping with the child custody law and regulations requiring that family unity be maintained to the degree possible.

The boy surprised the court when he proclaimed that his aunt beat him more than his parents and he adamantly refused to live with her.

When the judge suggested that he live with his grandparents, the boy cried out that they also beat him.

After considering the remainder of the immediate family and learning that domestic violence was apparently a way of life among them, the judge took the unprecedented step of allowing the boy to propose who should have custody of him.

After two recesses to check legal references and confer with child welfare officials, the judge granted temporary custody to the England Football team, whom the boy firmly believes are not capable of beating anyone.