Now and Then

The farm owned by the blogger mentioned

A blog I follow commented this week about the way the countryside has changed, at least in the USA.  He was noting the difference between the number of small family farms that have now been taken over by the much larger and highly mechanised form of growing crops and farming animals.  He says that today only 15% of Americans live in rural areas.  In 1945 30% of Americans were farmers owning land with an average 195 acres.  Today less than 1% are farmers and most crops are grown on farms of over 1000 acres.  You can see his blog post on this link entitled Disappearing Farmers (October 21st).  I guess that is only one of the changes in the way our food is produced.  It is also true that the way we food shop has changed greatly over the last few decades and our expectations when we shop.  We now expect and usually get fresh food all year round as though there are no longer seasons for crops.  We can get food grown in more tropical climates whenever we want, more or less, without considering the cost of shipping this around the world just for our convenience.

The other day I had a conversation with a friend about the basket she was carrying.  She had made it herself from willow that grows on her land.  I made the comment that she should try selling them and make a business for herself.  Her reply was practical but a bit sad I thought.  She said that what she could charge for them and what people would be prepared to pay just wouldn't pay for the hours it takes to make them and so it would just not be cost effective and certainly not a way to make a living.  We came to the conclusion that sadly many old crafts are slowly dying as people either don't have the spare time to take them up as a hobby or they are no longer a way to earn enough money to be able to sustain a decent way of life.  To be fair, I had to admit that when buying something, price is a big consideration and if the item serves the purpose we buy it.  For most of us then it's more a case of why are we going to pay more just to get something that has been handmade when the cheaper version serves us just as well?  .    


This week saw a very important date in time travel.  Many will understand when I say the date October 21st 2015.  That was the date that Marty McFly experienced when he flew in the time travel car from the year 1985, 30 years into the future in the film Back To The Future.  There was much on the news as people considered just how many of the things that he experienced in the film actually are now commonplace and which things never came to pass.  Of course much of the technology we now take for granted could not have been envisaged 30 years ago - individual mobile phones, internet connection on the go from just about anywhere and being able to talk face to face to someone on the other side of the world.  I'm sure you can think of many other ways that our lives have been revolutionised and changed forever. 

All this brings to mind the truth that things are continually evolving and changing.  Some things are sadly lost while other things are received with much pleasure.  Maybe it makes us think about the things that are under threat and if we really want to lose them or if they no longer serve their purpose in a modern era.  The same goes for religion.  We hang on to traditions, just because they are traditions when maybe we should be letting them go in favour of other ways that are more compatible with our world today.  Tradition is good but only if it is fit for purpose.  Just as we evolve and change and the world around us is constantly evolving, we should continually be evolving in spirit in order to continue to follow where the spirit leads.  Why do we do the things we do?  Is it simply because that's the way we've always done them?  Is what worked in days gone by working today?  Is it making a difference and making our world a better place?  Our faith is worth nothing if it's not applicable to our lives now in the 21st century.  It is good to remember the past but not to live in it.  What do I need to hold on to and what should I let go?  My belief system must be relevant to my life now or what's the point?  These and many more questions come to mind when thinking about my spiritual journey now and then.

Civilised - Or Not!

Earlier this week many people in Spain and the Americas celebrated Columbus Day, the day that Columbus first set foot on land on the other side of the Atlantic on the 12th October 1492.  At the time, Columbus and his associates went in order to find new land and claim it for the Spanish crown.  They actually thought they would find India going west instead of east as was the usual route. When they arrived in the Americas, they realised that this was a 'new world', somewhere they didn't know about.  They.saw how much gold and treasure there was and how friendly the native inhabitants were and realised how easy it would be to dominate them, making them slaves, forcing them to accept their christian faith and robbing them of all their wealth.  The native population were treated like animals that needed to be 'civilised'.  The truth is that many tribes were actually more civilised than the Spaniards, having a good system of social care, a healthy economy and thriving trade.  They were knowledgeable in many aspects of life including the arts and crafts as well as their study of the solar system and the natural world around them.  In opening their hearts and arms to receive their new guests, what they received was abuse, murder, pillaging and slavery - all in the name of Christianity.   Nowadays there is a growing movement to rename the day in favour of the indigenous people rather than Columbus.  


Although nations no longer go around the world killing and pillaging as in the past days of European empires, there are those who still find ways of destroying what is not theirs and taking for themselves what rightfully belongs to others, of course with promises of payment of a kind.  We need look no further than the same American continent to note that vast parts of the Amazon jungle are being cleared in order to have land where cattle can be raised.  This is so that more cattle can be farmed in order to keep down the price of beef for more northerly  parts of the world.  Apart from the damage to the planet's climate that the destruction of the Amazon jungle causes, there are countless indigenous tribes that have been swallowed up in this scheme.  Some feel almost forced to comply with what they are asked to do while others still fight on to keep what is rightfully theirs and the lifestyle that they choose to live.  It begs the question, 'Who are the savages and who are the civilised ones?'   The photo shows the systematic clearing of the jungle to make way for cattle.

On a happier note, this week I saw an article on social media that was also remembering an incident from the past.  Fifteen years earlier a small boy had fallen 18 feet into a den of gorillas at a zoo.  Everyone was dismayed as they thought that he would certainly be harmed.  However a gentle female gorilla called Binti approached the unconscious boy as he lay on the hard concrete surrounding the den.  She picked him up and cradled him in her arms, patted him a few times but got no response.  Everyone thought that surely now the boy would be hurt but instead Binti picked the boy up and walked almost 60 feet to an access door where an attendant and a paramedic could see to him.  All the time Binti guarded the boy from the other gorillas, growling at them to make sure the boy was kept safe.  I can't help thinking though that if any of the bystanders had been carrying a gun, they would have shot Binti without a second thought, presuming that on approaching the boy, she intended to harm him.  

We may not physically harm someone or rob them of any worldly goods but how often do we prejudge others?  Sadly many white people seem to have the attitude that they are in some way superior to those of a darker skin colour.  It might not be expressed in words but certainly in attitude.  How often do we look at a person's way of dressing or the house they live in and prejudge them without getting to know them?   Who would have thought that a gorilla would treat a human being with such care and gentleness in comparison to the way many people treat their fellow human beings?  People aren't better or worse than anyone else - they are simply different, sometimes by choice and sometimes by their cultural background.  I always remember my dear mother telling us as children, 'God loves everybody and so must we.'  Wise words.  Maybe being civilised is really about living God's love through our daily activities and attitudes and has nothing to do with authority, power and wealth.

Dividing Walls

It would be almost impossible for any person living in Britain not to be aware that this week saw the final of the Great British Bake-Off and know who won the title of Champion Baker.  There are those in the media who tried to claim that she won because of her ethnicity and religion to try and make a point that we are an open and accepting country.  Actually if those responsible for such accusations had actually seen the wonderful creations that she baked they would have realised that she won because she was a very capable and creative baker who although she began the competition struggling, she worked and worked until she overcame her doubts and succeeded in creating some amazing culinary delights.  She is a young mother of three young children, has beautiful eyes, a charming smile, a great sense of humour, some wonderful facial expressions and has come out with some great self-deprecating one-liners.  She has endeared herself to the heart of the nation.  Well done Nadiya.  She just happens to wear a scarf to express who she is.  People who cover themselves with tattoos do so in order to express themselves as does a gentleman who wouldn't be seen without a bow tie, feeling it gives himself a certain air of charm.  They all express themselves by their appearance.

Pope Francis has also been in the news again this week.  Last week we saw that during his visit to the USA, he met up with people of many faiths and religious ideologies other than Roman Catholicism.  This week the news is that in November he plans to meet up with some leaders of the Evangelical and Lutheran church in Rome and apologise for the way the Roman Church has treated Protestants, bearing in mind that it was Martin Luther, after whom the Lutheran church was founded, who was the reformer who opposed Roman authority and as a result the Protestant movement was formed.  


I was brought up in the ways of The Salvation Army and I was also reminded this week by a friend that the co-founder of that organisation once said, 'I don't believe in any religion apart from doing the will of God.'  It is a sad fact that over the centuries, Christians have forgotten the truths that Jesus taught about God's  all-encompassing love being for everyone.  Instead we have emphasized the divisions and differences, making them more important than our walk with God.

Another friend this week has said that after 8 years 'outside' of organised church he will be returning as part of the leadership team of a church in order to help out his friend.  He wondered what the reaction would be of those who had also left organised religion behind.  Is he a religious turncoat?  Has he changed his opinion about church structure? Is he in or out?


It saddens me when people think that you have to be either 'In' or 'Out'.  Why?  Which part of the Bible tells us that?  On the contrary.  Jesus speaks of God's love being unconditional and for all.  It was as much for the Roman centurion as it was for Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish Sanhedrin.  He preached from a boat as well as in the synagogue.  He accepted those on the fringes of society as well as those who were faithfully observant of their Jewish faith.  After the resurrection, he walked through walls to join his disciples as they met in secret.  No walls or locked doors can keep him out.  He also met with them by the lake as they went fishing.  He taught us that God is Spirit and we must worship him in spirit.  God really is everywhere.  The Psalmist so many centuries even before Jesus appeared said that there was nowhere we can go and not be in his presence.  There are no walls, whether physical, imaginary or religious that can keep him out.  Yet we continue to build walls of division, separation and exclusion.   Whatever walls we may build and divisions we think up, they don't mean anything to God because he is Spirit, everywhere.  When are we really going to understand this truth?    

God's love is unconditional.  There are no conditions that we must observe in order for us to be in his presence.  In or out?  Does it matter?  God breaks through barriers, frontiers and divisions. Let's stop building walls of division and trying to box God into our own ways of doing things.  He refuses to be forced into our boxes.  Just let God be God wherever we are and however we choose to seek him.  Does it matter if we wear a scarf or bow tie or have tattoos?  Does it matter if we meet with a certain group of people on a specific day in a specific place?  As long as we seek God, he will meet with us.  Outside appearances and man-made rules don't affect his love for all of us.  He only looks on our hearts, what we feel in our spirits.  I just seek his presence and to know and do his will.  Everything else is not that important and of no real consequence.    

Get A Life!

I saw this photo the other day.  Apparently it has now gone viral.  It is obviously a crowd of people waiting to see their favourite celebrities.  When you look more closely at the picture you see that everyone is ready with their camera, iphone or tablet to get the occasion for posterity so they can look at it later at length.  Everyone, that is, except a small, white-haired lady right at the front.  Maybe she doesn't own any such device.  But on the other hand she doesn't have to be concerned with getting the right angle or if someone sticks their head right in front of her just as she is taking the longed-for photo.  She is just happy to be there and is soaking up the atmosphere and I guess not missing a thing.  Her total concentration is on the event of the moment and she is enjoying whatever is happening right now without being distracted by searching for the optimum position and getting ready to click, making sure to click the right button at the exact moment.  She is engrossed in the moment and enjoying it to the full.

At the beginning of the week (for those who aren't on my friends list on Facebook so don't already know) I underwent an operation to remove a cataract from my right eye.  People I spoke to who have had it done all told me that it was nothing to worry about and that I wouldn't feel a thing.  It would all be over in no time at all.  Everyone tried to console me and I tried to take it all on board but if I'm honest I was still a little apprehensive.  

Learning about something, whether from books, professionals or friends and actually experiencing what they are describing can be two entirely different things.  It's the difference between saying, 'People told me about it' and 'Now I know what it's like'.  

Ask any young mother who has just given birth for the first time or a sports fan who watches a game on television while other fans go to the venue and watch it in person.  You can't really absorb the atmosphere and the feeling of being carried along by other fans who also want to cheer on their team.  The singing, the cheering, the banter.  They will tell you that there is no comparison between watching it on a screen and watching it for real.  The experience far outweighs seeing it second hand.

Also at the beginning of the week we had the rare occurrence of the supermoon and lunar eclipse that could be seen around the world.  Many people stayed up to watch it.  Others who had work or other commitments really needed their sleep so opted to watch pictures shown on the news the next morning.  Although I am retired and don't need to go to work, I still slept through the night and missed actually seeing the event as it unfolded.  The pictures I saw were indeed quite spectacular and it's an event that won't happen again until I'm well into my 90s, if I'm still with life that is. I'm sure though that for those who did see it, they would look at pictures and just know that you can't capture the same feelings of awe and wonder at the workings of the heavens.  You have to be in it to feel it.

 You can have a great deal of knowledge about a subject or event but that doesn't compare with the actual experience.  We can look at photos or pictures, read articles or books but the experience allows us to identify with the occasion and the people involved.  It involves emotions and conjures up feelings of wonder and pleasure.  We never know what the future will bring or how long we have in this life so it's a shame if we spend too much time just having second hand knowledge rather than living the occasion with all that that entails.  It's rather sad that so many people spend so much time learning about something that they never get to really enjoy experiencing it.  Embrace the moment to the full.  Immerse yourself in the experience.  Go for it, even though you may be a little apprehensive.  In the nicest possible way I want to say 'Get a life!'    

Inspiring

Lisa Potts receiving the George Medal.

In the news this week there was an item on Lisa Potts (now Webb).  In case the name doesn't immediately ring a bell, she was the nursery teacher who in 1996 bent over the children she was caring for at the nursery school when a man with paranoid schizophrenia began attacking them with a machete.  She sustained some horrific injuries to her head, back and arms, one arm being almost severed.  She subsequently lived for some time with the consequences and trauma of this event.  She was only 21 years old at the time but her bravery and courage was rewarded with a medal from the Queen - the George Medal for outstanding bravery.

http://www.upworthy.com/the-popes-lunch-plans-tomorrow-
are-exactly-why-we-love-the-dude-so-much?c=ufb1

Also in the news this week has been the visit of Pope Francis to the US.  Even if you don't agree with some of the things he has to say. you can't help but like him as he keeps surprising us with some of the things he says and does.  This week as he addressed the American Congress, he did not shy away from talking about climate change and the need to abolish the death penalty, saying that all human life is sacred.  Afterwards, instead of eating with the politicians as had been planned, he went to a homeless centre and helped to serve meals to the homeless people who gathered there.  He also stopped the motorcade in order to listen to the request of a small girl.  His humility and the way he identifies with the ordinary worker is symbolically demonstrated in the motorcade of all the big flashy cars while he travels in a little Fiat along with his assistant.

This week I have also been washing out all the bird feeders and buying in the various types of bird food ready for the time of looking after and feeding our wild birds. I do enjoy watching the birds as they come and feed in our garden.  They give me a great deal of pleasure.  On Twitter and Facebook I follow Simon King.  He is probably better known as one of the presenters that used to be on Spring/Autumn Watch.  He lives in Somerset on a plot of land covering quite a few acres.  He has over the past few years converted this wild piece of land into what is known as Wild Meadows where he seeks to encourage various types of wildlife, large and small.  He's also set up cameras that you can watch the wildlife for yourself, including badgers, foxes, otters, small rodents, pheasants, kingfishers, and many other types of birds.  You can link up with his website here and here.

 Three completely different types of people but all inspiring in their own way and within their own situations and circumstances.  But inspiring people should be more than just interesting stories that catch your eye.  Learning about them should really inspire us to want to reach out and do more, to copy them in a way even if a bit more simply.  After one of the Pope's speeches someone wrote on Twitter 'Not many speeches make me want to be a better person.  Thank you Pope.'  That's inspiring.  The bravery of Lisa Potts makes us feel how important it is to care for and protect those more vulnerable.  Simon King inspires me to be aware of the environment and the natural world and do something to help, even though on a much smaller scale than him.  I don't embrace all the wildlife but I do like to feed the wild birds in the winter and plant things that help bees and butterflies in the summer.  Who inspires you?  It may not be someone famous or in the media headlines.  It might be a family member or a neighbour or someone you've been told about or seen on social media.  Let's be inspired by someone today and when thinking of them don't just say 'Ah! That's nice' but determine to reach out to make the world a little better just where we are and in so doing maybe inspire others to do the same..  

Mixed Blessings

This week has been a week of looking towards various events.  At the beginning of the week I had a couple of appointments with the surgery's nurse to check my blood pressure and also to take a blood test to check my cholesterol level, any signs of diabetes and other necessary checks.  That's one I don't particularly like because it has to be done while fasting so from about 8 pm the evening before until after the blood has been extracted, it's a case of no food and only a little water if you're thirsty.  That means no hot chocolate before bed and no putting the kettle on for coffee when I get up!  

Although it doesn't really bother me too much, I don't look forward to being jabbed in the arm with a hypodermic needle, particularly as my blood vessels never seem willing to let my blood leave my body.  The nurse was very good and managed on only the second jab.  The results came back that I am 'normal'.  (For those who question the expression they were the doctor's words, not mine.)  Later this morning I have to go back to the surgery to get my yearly flu jab - another needle. 

I also had word this week about the date for my eye operation to remove the cataract from my right eye, as that's the worst of the two.  Later I hope to get the other eye done.  Then, so they tell me, I should be able to see without my spectacles, something I haven't been able to do for about 35 years.  At least I should be able to tell which bus is coming before it actually gets up to me.  Everyone who has had this operation tells me that it's 'a doddle'; but I still feel a bit apprehensive.

Brothers Martin (right) and Diego (left) on a previous visit

On the positive side my son Martin and daughter-in-law Lisa are visiting us this weekend.  It's always good to be able to spend time all together as a family and something we have looked forward to with pleasure.  To crown it all today sees the return of Dr Who on our television screens.  Any who regularly read my blog or who know me know that in our house we are avid Dr Who fans and have been for years.  I remember seeing the very first episode in the 60s.  So this week has been a mixture of looking forward to things, some really pleasurable and others not so much but still necessary.  

Lisa and me on a previous visit.

The thing is that the check-ups and jabs and operations, although not very pleasant at the time are really for my own good and will prove beneficial to me in the long term.  In life we can't have everything we like all the time.  Some people seem to be of the opinion that if you conform to certain religious practices, then somehow you are protected from unpleasantness in your life.  I'm sorry to disappoint those people .  Life is just not like that.  We have to take the rough with the smooth.  The best way is to accept the good things and enjoy every minute, savouring the pleasure so we have good memories for the future while accepting the not so good experiences knowing that they serve to make us stronger, wiser and more capable to cope with life.  Nothing lasts for ever so it's best to accept the not so pleasant things, knowing that there will be a time when they will be over and we will feel the benefit but remember to enjoy every minute of the good times while they are here.  Mixed blessings.

  

I'm OK Right Here

Si(mon) King and Dave Myers - aka The Hairy Bikers

At the moment there is a series on television with The Hairy Bikers as they ride through northern Europe, eating the local cuisine and making dishes from local foods for other guests.  I love to watch them, partly because they are not what you expect from cooks/chefs and also of course being a Geordie myself, it is so lovely to hear Si's Geordie accent.  (He's the one on the left in the photo)  Although I have lived in many other parts of the UK and abroad and my own accent has changed somewhat over the years, I do love to hear that accent genuinely spoken.  It's somehow comforting when lovely memories of childhood days come flooding back to my mind.

Dishing up a meal to some of Muhu's inhabitants

This week the adventures of The Hairy Bikers took them through Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.  Having visited friends in Latvia about 4 years ago, I was interested to see what they showed and cooked.  It was all very interesting but the thing that really caught my attention was when they went to Estonia (sorry Jo and Ian - my friends in Latvia)  They went to the island of Muhu off the Estonian coast and thought that one of the restaurants must have a difficult time obtaining all the ingredients that they would need to make a first class meal.  As it happened, the chef showed them how they gathered wild sea kale and other herbs and ingredients that were growing wild virtually on their doorstep.  Along with fish freshly caught by a friend from the waters surrounding the island, they served up a delicious meal using only the things that were round about them.

Wise words from Arthur Ashe

How often we spend time wishing for this or that without noticing the richness that we have on our own doorstep.  It's so true that often visitors will tell us of things they have seen that we barely notice because it is so familiar and to us seems nothing special.  On a spiritual level we so often say that if we were like so-and-so or had such-and-such a talent we could do great things for God.  I am reminded of when God called Moses and he kept making excuses for not going to Egypt.  God''s reply was simply, 'What have you got in your hand?'  With the staff in his hand, God showed Moses how powerful he is when we just give him what we have and are.  Many times Jesus told people just to go back home and tell others there what he had done.  It's not everyone whom God asks to leave everything and go to the ends of the earth (although for some he does ask this and for those they should do just that)  How often we think, when this happens or when I'm in a certain situation then I'll be able to do something for God.  Don't worry and wish your life away wishing you were something you're not.  He made you the unique person that you are and asks you to use just what you have.  Don't go looking and coveting what others have and do.  Be yourself, where you are.  The wise words of Arthur Ashe the great American tennis player come to mind - see picture on the left.

Imperfect

Every Wednesday morning I help out at the luncheon club that is held in the church hall just further along the street where I live.  We had a break for the summer during the month of August but this week we were back again.  Someone had donated a large bag full of apples they thought we might be able to make some use of.  As it happened, on the menu this week was pork and gammon so some freshly made apple sauce was just right.  There was plenty left over that was partly cooked and put in the freezer to use at some future date in some dessert.  What caught my attention was that they were all apples that you would never have been able to buy at any store.  

They weren't perfectly formed.  Some had bruises from their fall from the trees and some had a few bits that had to be cut away and discarded.  Having said all that we made good use of what we had, imperfect as they were.  It never ceases to amaze me just how much food must be discarded just because it is not perfectly formed or has some bruising or is maybe a little overripe.  What a waste!  We don't know because such merchandise never actually gets into the shops for us to buy even if we wanted to.  

It seems that nowadays everybody looks for perfection in all things.  Nobody wants to tolerate anything less than perfection, whether that be the shape of fruit or any other merchandise we may want to buy.  Anything that is even slightly damaged is discarded.  We would be in real trouble if God thought that about us though!  'If you're not perfect, you're not welcome here in heaven' is not something that God who is love would say to anyone.  We sing the song 'Just as I am' and that's how God accepts us.  

Stories from the Old Testament should really open our eyes to the overwhelming love and grace that God has for his creation.  King David who is held in such high esteem was a murderer and coveted the wife of another.  Lot got drunk and had incestuous relations with his daughters (even though it was their idea)  Samson was a womaniser.  Gideon kept asking God for proof of what God was asking him to do.  Joseph was an arrogant show-off, always taunting his older brothers.  Jacob was a cheat, finding a way to steal his brother's birthright.  Rahab was a prostitute.  And in the New Testament, Paul, who is so revered and quoted by Christians, aided and abetted in the extermination of Christians, ruthlessly hunting them down and gloating at the stoning of Stephen.  These make up many stories in our Scriptures - God's word.  The murderer David and the prostitute Rahab are mentioned in the lineage of Jesus, the perfect son of God.  

Nobody's perfect!  Yet God loves and blesses and uses us.  He does not discard us because of our imperfections.  I need to remember that whenever I see something not quite perfect or before making some judgmental remark about someone.    

Don't Hold Your Breath

The phrase 'Don't hold your breath' as we know, refers to the fact that something is very unlikely to happen.  We shouldn't expect a certain result or we will probably be disappointed.  The truth is that holding your breath can, in extreme cases, be quite dangerous.  I know someone who as a young child, used to hold his breath when he cried.  This was a cause of constant concern for his parents.
Whenever he started to cry, they had to watch him to make sure that within a few seconds at most he would start breathing again.  Otherwise they would need to take some action to make him stop holding his breath.  Holding your breath like this could cause serious physical harm.

Breathing is something we do without even thinking.  We breathe in fresh air so that oxygen can be extracted from it by the lungs and pumped around our bodies through our blood stream.  The air is made up of many things but mainly oxygen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide.  The lungs processing this air we have just breathed in, as well as extracting the oxygen that our body needs to stay alive, also expels the unwanted carbon dioxide as we breathe out.  So, no matter what we are doing, our bodies perform the act of breathing in and out, taking in what we need and expelling what our bodies reject.  It's the same with eating.  We need to feed our bodies with energy but with everything we eat there is some waste that must be expelled in order to remain healthy.


We take into our lives so much, not only in the daily, physical bodily functions that keep us alive but in the things that we acquire.  The trouble is that we humans have a habit of hoarding stuff, 'holding our breath' as it were with material things.  Those who have moved house will know just how much we accumulate without even realising it.  Some people move into a bigger house so they can have more room to stash their accumulated stuff -  and then get more.  It would probably be cheaper to 'breathe' with our material wealth and as we take in more maybe we should get rid of stuff that we no longer need or use.  Some things might have been useful at one time but are no longer necessary.  And yet we hold on to them! 

Saddest of all though is when people hold on to negative emotions or memories.  Holding onto to such feelings can really be harmful to our spirits.  If something is no longer needed, breathe it out or you run the risk of becoming hurt and damaged.  We want to be blessed by God and often experience such blessing but at the same time seem unwilling to let go and breathe out the negative resentments, attitudes, disappointments and grudges.  Holding your breath can be harmful, physically, materially, emotionally and spiritually.  Breathe in the fresh air of God but don't forget to breathe out what you no longer need or what negatively affects your spirit.  You'll feel better for it.    

Recipe for Life

Although I have my own recipes for certain dishes and my  own way of making them, occasionally I like to look online to see just how other people make them.  The other day I was looking for a recipe for pasta carbonara and another one for curry.  We are quite happy with the results of my own way of doing them but I was curious to see if other people did things in more or less the same way.  Often we follow a recipe that has been handed down from previous generations or the way we learnt it.  We like things 'like mother used to make'!  So I wanted to see what other people did.  It seems that everyone has their own particular slant on things.  Each of the different celebrity chefs came out with their version.  I got so tired of looking at the seemingly endless list of curry recipes that in the end I just switched off the computer and went back to my own tried and tested method of always.  And we enjoyed it - as always.

So many variations on a theme!  What was evident, however is that all of the recipes for a given dish had some basic ingredients that were included in every version.  But then each one had some extra something, a vegetable, some special herb or spice or added cream to make it more luxurious (and fattening)  But the basic ingredients were in all of them.  So the question some would ask is, 'Yes, but which one is the true version?  Which is the authentic recipe?'  Well I guess that depends on your particular taste buds.  In the recipe for pasta carbonara, some wouldn't dream of making it with any pasta other than spaghetti.  The bacon has to me smoked.  Well, actually, we don't like smoked bacon so I use unsmoked bacon because that's our particular taste.  So is our version not authentic?  It is for us.

It reminds me of the fact that I can get 3 different buses to go to visit my sister, each one going a different way but all ending up at the same bus stop a few yards from my sister's house.  So which one is the right one?  All of them, of course.  You hear people saying that this or that version of the gospel is the only true version.  Their particular recipe for a Christian life is the real authentic one and anything else is a deviation.  Well, I guess if that particular way is to your taste then maybe it is - for you.  The Bible says, 'Taste and see that the Lord is good'.  So if I don't feel comfortable with a particular way of expressing my faith then maybe it isn't good for me and I need to look for what corresponds to my taste.  Some people like it quiet and organised while others like it happy clappy and noisy.  Ahh! but which is the true version?  Well, as we said it depends on your taste - and often depends on what you have been taught from childhood and learned from previous generations.  Sometimes you're happier with what you;re used to and don't want a new or different version.


Having looked at a number of different faiths lately, including those of Buddhism, Sikh, Unitarian Universalism, Baha'i, Muslim, Jew, Pagan, I have discovered that there are certain basic 'ingredients' found in all of them.  They all seek to worship a Supreme Being.  Many of them accept and follow the teaching of Jesus.  They all acknowledge the need to fight injustice and help the poor and broken, seeking to make life better for humanity and caring for the planet, the world that God has given us as our home.  Most people follow the religion that they have grown up with.  We look to, admire and accept people of other faiths, often quoting their words of wisdom like Confucius, Gandhi, the Dalai Lama among others.  Their recipe for life depends much on geography and their cultural background.  Who am I to say that my recipe is the only true, authentic one?  It is for me but might not be for someone from a different background and upbringing.  There are so many different recipes, different ways to the same end goal.  I have come to accept that you have to find the one that is right for you even though it might not be right for everyone.  

The 3 Ls

Our beautiful magnolia tree with many buds still to open.

We have a rather large evergreen magnolia tree in our garden.  It was getting bigger than we really wanted so after the end of last winter, in early spring, my son pruned it back a bit.  They say that you shouldn't prune it too vigorously all at once but stage the pruning out over a few years.  So that's what we (he) did.  Last year we had a few flowers but this year, since pruning, the tree has produced no end of flowers and continues with more buds well into late summer and the beginning of autumn.  Yes according to the calendar we are nearing autumn.   

Clearing away some of the lawn to plant more produce

As now in the garden there are only  a few bulbs of garlic and the blackberries left to pick, I am beginning to think about next year and planning where I want to put what.  I have decided to get rid of a little bit more of the (quite large) lawn and move some of the strawberry plants in order to make room for more vegetables higher up the garden.  It seems that every year I'm learning new things about what grows best where in the garden.  Things I haven't had much success with then I have to admit defeat in that area and let them go while turning my hand to something else instead, something that will give us some fruit or vegetables.  I'm only an amateur gardener but I do enjoy my garden and am happiest when I can potter around it.  Basically I learn by trying, sometimes failing and discovering through experience what works where and what doesn't.  I am also aware that although I still manage to do about 1-2 hours gardening at a time, it might not be too long before these old bones won't let me do even that.  So each year I re-assess and plan for next year. 

The first signs of fruit on the fig tree.

Happily this year I have seen signs that our fig tree, bought from being a young sapling a few years ago, will indeed next year actually give us some fruit.  It has obviously matured enough now to produce the much awaited fruit.  There are small bud-like figs just appearing and this means that although they won't mature and ripen enough to eat this year, they will survive the winter, as long as they are covered and protected from any frost and continue to grow and ripen next year.  Here's hoping!  I just love fresh figs.  When I look at the fig tree I often think of the story of Jesus when he cursed the fig tree.  Knowing that small fig 'buds' usually appear during the autumn and ripen the following year, maybe Jesus knowing this saw that that particular tree had no signs of producing fruit and if it was a mature tree then he would know that it was indeed dying.  We tend to think of that story as Jesus condemning that tree to die, almost in anger but I like to think more that actually he was pointing out that it was a tree that wasn't giving any fruit, it wasn't fulfilling its purpose and would surely die.

 Sometimes we have to take a look at our lives.  There is a danger that our lives get so full of busy-ness that we leave too little space to actually flourish.  Maybe there are some things that need to be pruned back, cut out in order to open up into greater splendour.  Maybe we need to re-think what we're doing and if it's having the results we are looking for and maybe change direction somewhat, leaving some things altogether and learning new ways of growing and giving fruit.  We are all different and produce different fruit and need different types of soil in which to grow, having a variety of end results if we're nurtured and grown according to our individual purpose.  My garden preaches many sermons to me if I have the eyes to see and the ears to hear what creation is saying.  The 3 Ls - Look, Listen and Learn.

Being Jesus

This week I have finished reading another of Jim Palmer's books - Being Jesus in Nashville.  In it he sets out trying to find out what it would be like living in his home town of Nashville daily submitting to the now well-known phrase 'What Would Jesus Do?' WWJD?  Originally he thought that maybe he should start some project or plan to do something special.  When he studied the life of Jesus though he discovered that Jesus didn't set out to implement some plan but just went about his day-to-day living.  He got a bunch of friends to hang out and travel with and helped people he encountered along the way.  So instead of setting up some sort of help group Jim decided to just carry on as normal but always with the WWJD thought in mind.


He used to frequent a particular coffee shop and through regular visits there met a young woman who introduced herself as someone who had been involved with the media and had made a film about homelessness.  Jim was intrigued.  They chatted regularly when they were at the coffee shop.  Jim had for a long time been involved in helping the homeless, helping out at the shelter and donating money.  It was a cause close to his heart.  So it was a surprise when one day his friend revealed that she was homeless.  She went to the coffee shop so that she could use their free wi-fi.  That was her office.  The owner knew her and made sure that she had at least one meal every day.  Jim was a little taken aback as he had in his mind certain ideas about homeless people, what they were like and why they were homeless.  And suddenly here was this woman with whom he had struck up a friendship and she didn't fit into any of the ideas that he had about homeless people.  She still worked within the media setup but did not earn enough to cover a rent and pay for all the utilities, as happens in many countries without any sort of welfare system.  So here she was, a working but homeless young woman.


One day she offered to buy Jim a coffee.  At first his reaction was 'no way'.  How could he accept even such a small gift from someone who was homeless?  Should it not be the other way around - him buying her a coffee?  She insisted that she really wanted to buy him a coffee as a friend.  She then went on to explain that what a homeless person wants most of all is friendship, to feel accepted and not judged, seen as part of the human race and not some 'outsider' who is excluded from ordinary life.  She wanted to have that feeling of self worth being able to carry out the simple gesture of buying a friend a coffee  It's good that people give money or volunteer at a shelter for the homeless or help by giving a meal to a hungry soul but what they crave is real friendship.  People help but at a distance.  It was then that WWJD came to Jim's mind.  Jesus got involved with people.  He spent time with them, talked to them, where they were.  And so Jim realised that being Jesus in Nashville was not so much about helping out (although that is also necessary) as being a friend.


For most of us, I guess, the way we help is by giving money or being involved in some project.  Sadly when this is done through a religious setup it usually involves trying to convert people and getting them to join whatever religious group is carrying out the project. It's almost used as some outreach programme to get people in.  And many are left feeling that out of a sense of gratitude that maybe they should.   What would Jesus do?  Well I don't read anywhere that he insisted that anyone he helped should tag along to their nightly study group or join with them on their journeys.  More often that not he told them to go back home and remember their encounter and what he said and did.  He saw their real need and met it without any obligation on the recipient.  He was being a real friend when they were in trouble.  It's good to give money and get involved in some charitable work.  This is greatly needed in the world we live in.  It seems though that being Jesus in ... (wherever you happen to be) is not about money so much as it is about making someone feel wanted and included, learning about them as people and not just 'some needy soul'.  It's about giving them a sense of value as a human being and self worth.  It's being alongside them and not just about hand outs.  'What a friend we have in Jesus.'  Being Jesus - being a friend.

What a Life!

Ben Fogle in Laos

I am currently enjoying the miniseries on television with Ben Fogle - New Lives in the Wild (Mondays channel 5  at 9 pm - UK)  He visits people who have opted out of the rat race and spends a week with them discovering just why they do what they do and have decided to live where they live.  The first one in the current series was about a 31 year old former financier from London who one day decided that there was more to life than work and the financial world he lived in.  He was searching for a place where he could be happy.  He bought a one-way ticket and set out for Asia.  He eventually settled in a hand made bamboo hut on a hidden jungle island on the Mekong river, Laos.  He lives like all the other people there and is accepted as one of them. 


Another 61 year old woman from Europe has lived alone for the past 8 years (since her husband died) in a part of the remote outback in Australia caring for the wildlife surrounding her home and a herd of wild horses who come to her when she calls them.  She also was looking for something more than what money can buy.

I saw somewhere this week the words - Making a Living or Making a Life.  Sometimes they are the same thing but more often than not there is a big gap between the two phrases.  Of course we need to work in order to have the things that we need.  Most people work at ordinary jobs so they can enjoy a form of reasonable life.  There our times when our lives seem to be governed by money - paying for this or that essential. (or what we in 21st century Britain accept as essential for life).  Do I buy because I need something or because it's the latest in thing, a 'must have' in order to have some sort of acceptance in society (if that is important to us)?


The thing is that in time most people come to realise that all the stuff that money buys us may make us comfortable but often there is still a space deep down, yearning for real happiness.  The things money can buy are of this world and this life and  have to stay here when we leave this life.  We cannot take them with us.  We have to leave them behind.  So why do we do it?  Why do we work ourselves to the bone so we can have more money to buy more stuff?  If that is your dream and it really makes you happy, fair enough.  But as the Beatles used to sing, 'Can't buy me love'.  You can buy diamond rings or flashy cars or dine out to impress but they don't guarantee love.  You can't buy peace.  You can't buy a happy homelife.  You can't buy acceptance or understanding.  I'm sure you could add more to the list.  So what do we do?  We need to make a living  to a certain extent but do we need to do it at the expense of making a life with things that money can't buy?  




I am reminded of something Banksy shared on Twitter (picture right)


I think that's a good note to end on and leave us thinking about our lives and what are the important things for us.    

Identity Theft

The other day I received an email from an online friend (whom I have never actually met in the flesh).  At least that's what it seemed at first until I read the email.  It said that he (supposedly) was in the Ukraine and needed some money if I could help.  Of course the alarm bells sounded and more or less at the same time someone else wrote on his facebook page words to the effect that he also had received a similar email.  The poor soul had had his address book hacked and someone was trying to get money under false pretences saying they were him.  We hear a lot about identity theft and are warned to be on our guard against such scams.  The sad thing is that there are many ordinary people who pretend to be someone or something that they aren't - a kind of identity fraud.  They want you to believe things about them that are just not true.  They put on a 'mask' and appear to be a certain type when deep down their thoughts are quite different.  Or they exaggerate their job description to imply something a little different from the real truth.  It's meant to impress others.

We are adamant that you and I would never do this.  What you see is what you get, as they say.  Sadly I have to admit that taking on the name of Jesus and calling myself Christian has so often fallen short of what Jesus was really like.  The general view of a Christian by a non-religious person is someone who is homophobic, church-going, straight-laced, exclusivist who lives by a lot of rules that start with the word 'don't ...'  They live in their own religious bubble and don't have much idea of what goes on in the 'real' world, or so the thinking goes.  Not someone to have much fun with, a bit miserable really, someone you need to watch what you say when they're around in order to avoid a glare of disapproval.  But the real Jesus that we read about in the Bible was nothing like that at all.  He was known to like a drink of wine (or two, or three), was often invited to people's homes, was open to all regardless of their upbringing, reputation or background.  People travelled to see him and hear what he had to say.  For many he was like a breath of fresh air.  He understood them and always wanted to help.  There was no place he would not go or person to whom he would not speak.  

His friends were a mixed bunch from all walks of life.  They included the calculating tax collector, one who was a bit of a dreamer, the rough fisherman who seemed to lurch from one blunder to another, the quiet thinker, the competitive brothers, one who was a bit of a sceptic and the one whose over-zealous nature trying to force his hand caused the death of Jesus.  So different yet they all hung out together, travelled together, talked and discussed things together.  Some may have been quite observant of their Jewish religious traditions but others were most definitely not that religious at all.  I have to consider honestly just how many people I can count as real friends (not just acquaintances) who are not Christian.  Many Christians don't have any close friends who are outside of their particular church group let alone outside of the religion altogether.  It's very much the scenario of 'us and them'.  Those 'outside' are even referred to as 'in the world'.  They are not included.  How different from how Jesus related to people.   

  
Jesus said that he had come to serve, telling his disciples that the first shall be last and the last shall be first.  Oh dear!  How we exalt the big names in preachers or worship leaders.  The well known ones attract the crowds as they flock to hear them preach, almost to the point of idol worship.  (Reminds be of young fans going to see their favourite pop idol)  They are put on pedestals and regarded almost as 'the untouchables' - until they are caught out doing something wrong, that is and then they are thrown on the scrap heap of religious has-beens.  We still struggle to really accept that in God's kingdom there is no hierarchy.  There are no reserved places at his table.  All really are equal in his sight.  The person who cleans the hall is as important as the best known preacher.  Yet how often we judge people by the size of their congregation or following and those who have more 'followers' are deemed more successful.  I have seen people more impressed with someone who has a degree or title than someone who doesn't as though having been to university somehow qualifies you as a 'better' sort of Christian.  (I'm not against a university education but we must not confuse education and knowledge with spirituality and following Jesus.  They are two different things) Friendship is so often sought more with the well-heeled, well-spoken person with a certain lifestyle than a poor manual worker struggling to make ends meet.  Yet Jesus said that as the prophet Isaiah foretold, he had come to bring good news to the poor.  Everyone is  welcome, not in a patronising way but as friends.

There are many more aspects of Jesus' life that we could think of but this is enough for the moment for us to really consider deeply, personally and honestly.  So in retrospect we need to consider and ask ourselves  Am I really a follower of Jesus?  Am I reflecting through my life just what God is like?  Can people see God's love shining through my day-to-day living?  Am I taking his name in vain?  Do I call myself Christian, take his identity, saying that I'm like him but not taking on board some of the fundamental things that he taught and lived?  Have I committed spiritual identity theft?      

Cherry Picking

Our cherry tree laden with fruit (inedible to humans)

When we moved into our current home I was pleased to find there were two large cherry trees in the back garden.  The first spring we were here, they both blossomed and so we looked forward to the fruit later that year.  Ah!  Oh dear!  One of the trees didn't give any cherries at all - nothing, zilch, zero, nada!  It was unbelievable, after all that lovely blossom. After 6 years we still get loads of lovely blossom but haven't seen any fruit, not even one very small cherry on that tree.  The other tree however was absolutely laden with fruit.  Oh, good.  That sort of made up for the disappointment of the other tree.  I picked a couple to eat - well you have to try things before you give them to others in the family!  Ugh!  They were so bitter.  I was determined to make use of them so I decided to pick some and cook them in a pan with a load of sugar and then make a cherry pie.  Well, that went down a treat - very nice.  Until the next day that is, when both my son and I spent much of the time in the smallest rooms of the house (thankfully we have the bathroom upstairs and a downstairs WC) until the cherries had completed their journey through our digestive system!  Needless to say, we haven't had any cherries from the garden since then,  The birds seem to enjoy them so we leave them for the feathered population that visit our garden.  It seems that cherry-picking doesn't always have the results you hope for or expect.

Life's like that.  You look forward to something.  You make plans in your head of what is going to happen and what you're going to do when such and such happens ... ... but then it doesn't turn out the way you hoped.  You're left with a strange feeling inside, not the experience you'd hoped for.  But you deal with it, learn from it and life goes on.

The problem I find though is that so many people look at circumstances and ask 'What did I do to deserve that?'  'Why has God allowed this to happen to me?'  It's as though God is some sort of super Santa Claus who's checking us out to see who's been naughty and who's been good and gives rewards accordingly.  God is not a Santa Claus for grown-ups!  He's not in the business of rewarding us for 'good works' and punishing us if we fail. That's not how he is or how he works.  He simply loves us no matter what.  C S Lewis said,

 'If God is love, he is, by definition, something more than mere kindness.' 

In Matthew's gospel we read that God sends the rain on the just and the unjust and that the sun shines on the good and the evil in like measure.  Some things are just the stuff of life.  And things happen to us whether we are believers or unbelievers.  Religious faith and belief are not an insurance policy against bad things happening.  What is in the 'insurance policy' of faith though is that God will walk with us through the difficulties.  When Jesus talks about leaving his peace to his followers, he didn't mean peace as in lack of turmoil, difficulties, heartache or problems.  It's a different sort of peace.  It's the sort of deep-down peace.  If you picture the ocean in a storm and the wind and waves are lashing about, tossing about anything on the surface of the water.  But deep down underneath, there is calm - no wind, no waves, no tossing about.  Just deep peace.  I don't need to spiritualise the picture - you get it.

On Twitter I follow a man called David Hayward.  He has a blog called nakedpastor.com  He describes himself as a graffiti artist on the walls of religion.  (Click on the link to check him out)  The other day he wrote on Twitter 'I certainly can't rely on external circumstances to achieve peace.  Peace must begin in my mind.' 

We can't cherry-pick our life's experiences.  We can plan ahead but don't get upset if things don't turn out the way you hoped.  Disaster has a habit of rearing its ugly head.  No matter who you are or what your beliefs are, life happens!  It's how we react and deal with the situation that matters.  But we don't need to struggle on our own - God wants to walk with us.  His love wants to envelop us and give us that deep peace amid the storm.  Accepting his offer of peace doesn't stop the storm but it helps to get through it.