Jesus straightened up and said to her, ‘Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?’ She said, ‘No one, sir.’ And Jesus said, ‘Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again.’ (John 8:10-11)

What is the kingdom like?

A place where our words

Fall short

Where goodness

Kindness and

Decency are

The norm

Are not

Remarkable

A community

Where needs are

Cared for

Where everyone is

Valued

For now

Glimpses

Must suffice

The grace of a young woman

Helping with great care and little fuss

An older blind woman

Get off a train

The simple joy

Of young children

As they embrace

Each moment

Of living

The happiness and

Acceptance

Radiated

By the man

On his daily walk

We’re not there

Yet

But such

Graced glimpses

Remind us of

Where we’re headed

With God’s guidance

Christmas – birth of Jesus

Beacon of hope

Amid the seemingly hopeless

Human condition

War, hatred

Lack of compassion

Crimes of abuse

God’s image

Filled with dignity

Minimised

Ignored

Humanity cries out

For relief

And yet

We’ve had our answer

In the person of Jesus

To show

We can do it, too

Love

Compassion

Empathy

‘God with us’

Such other-centredness

Builds relationship

In a daily sense

Far from the harsh words

And withering stares

That can be endured

On the personal battlefield

So we need to remember

The timeless and timely wisdom

That we are in God’s presence

In you

In me

With us

Now and always

And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. (Luke 2:7)

Check out this great video Light of Peace by The Fybbz

Advent is our time of preparation leading up to Christmas. As the year ends, it is also a time for us to ‘sum up’ or take stock of our lives. As I get ready to celebrate God’s unique gift of his Son to humanity, what does my life look like? Do I practise what I profess? In what ways can I more truly be a disciple of Jesus? We know the answers to these and similar questions. Our task is to become more present to the answers and put change into effect, as needed. As for me, I struggle to find my own answers, so I will not be issuing a ‘prescription’ to anyone else!

Thus the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend (Exodus 33:11)

To this day, a dominant image of God is as transcendent, totally other, separate from us. This passage does not reject that image. Rather there is more to God than that. God is immanent as well. While not in the unique way that the LORD was present to Moses, God is with us. This relational aspect of God is important for we relational beings. Thus part of what this passage calls us to is to cultivate a close, warm relationship with God – as ‘a friend’.

This is easier said than done, especially if there is a conflict with someone’s image of God: how can I be close to someone who is remote? Thus our dealings with young people in this regard (as with many others) will need to be gentle. Our teaching, our modelled behaviour, and the opportunities we provide them for prayer are factors. In the end, it will happen in God’s time, the kairos time – and we are blessed to play our role.

Have a great week!

Patrick

“So God created humankind in his image” (Gen 1:27)

“However kills an innocent person it is as if they have killed all of humanity” (Qu’ran 5:32)

Thus, if you live in Paris

Or Beirut

Or Damascus

Or Baghdad

Each person has dignity

No hierarchy

A death in Paris

Or Beirut

Or Damascus

Or Baghdad

Is to be grieved

Part of God’s image

Is lost

And we are all

Diminished

There is so much anger

So much hatred

What should our response be?

To follow Jesus, Francis of Assisi

And many others:

Peace

Love

Pardon

Faith

Hope

Light

Joy

The angel of the LORD came a second time, touched Elijah, and said, ‘Get up and eat, otherwise the journey will be too much for you.’ (1 Kings 19:7)

In this story, Elijah is fleeing from those who would kill him – for being true to God’s word. Despite wishing to die to be rid of his troubles, God cares for Elijah. Each of us needs ‘food for the journey’. This can be as simple and profound as eating in a healthy way. There is also a metaphorical sense – making sure my soul is fed. This can take the form of leisure, reading, writing, reflection – as well as our spiritual food, the Eucharist.

Young people can speak of FOMO (fear of missing out) – being obsessed about taking every opportunity without discerning whether they have the time and energy to realistically take them up. Having ‘food for the energy’ is also about allowing time to stop, reflect and recharge our batteries. We do well to speak about ‘food for the journey’, while also modelling it to the young people in our care.

Have a great week!
Patrick

Jesus said, ‘I am the light of the world’ (John 9:5)

Everything is fine when there is light, when we can see. Life is a breeze. When darkness falls, it is easy to trip and hurt ourselves. Tasks that are simple in the light become much more difficult. This is all the more true when ‘darkness falls’ in our lives. We ‘grope around’, searching for answers, longing for the light. These moments of darkness in our lives are an opportunity to strengthen our relationship with God. If we live our lives as Jesus did, with love and compassion for those around us, the light will increase (albeit more slowly than we’d prefer). Through our relationships, which are an echo of God’s love for us, we will be brought into the light.

For those who are plunged into darkness through no fault of their own – like the young people in our care – this can be a bewildering and lonely time. Hopefully our watchful eye will catch a glimpse of their pain, to guide them towards the light – the light around them in their relationships, the light of their own goodness and the light of faith, which illuminates the darkest corners.

Have a great week!
Patrick