I have had so many thoughts and prayers over the last nearly two years, but not been able to put into words what I’m thinking and feeling.
Many times I have been on the edge of posting, but not been able to.
Today, I was listening to a short passage from the Gospel of Luke in my daily ‘Pray as you go‘ … here it is:
And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, ‘This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too.’ Luke 2:33-35
The child is Jesus. Simeon is a priest in the temple in Jerusalem. Mary and Joseph have brought Jesus at 40 days old to present him to the Lord. The words said to Mary are disturbing. They point to the way that Jesus will speak truth to the powers of his day, and the opposition that he will receive as a consequence.
Having listened to the reading a couple of times, I was invited to think about a character that I identified with in the passage. Or maybe I would like to imagine holding the baby in my arms ?
I’m writing this as we are surrounded by ugliness. By actions and words that spread hate and violence.
We are in the middle of the unlawful and genocidal actions of the Zionist state of Israel.
In addition we have to contend with racism directed at those seeking refuge in our land.
All around we see forces at work that are not rooted in compassion and understanding, but cruelty and ignorance.
I imagine myself in the middle of all of this, and ask myself what do I do, or say.
Do I shout out ?
“From the river to the sea …”
Yes, I have joined in those chants, and will still do so.
Do I hold up a placard ?
“Free Palestine, save Gaza”
Yes, I have done that each week in a public space this year, and will continue to do so.
But today, I have an image of myself with thousands of people simply holding babies.
No chants,
No words,
No placards.
Just holding a baby in my arms.
To hold a placard I would need to put the baby down, or give the precious bundle to someone else.
To shout a chant I might disturb this sleeping infant.
The most important thing in my mind is to protect this baby, who speaks to me of vulnerability, of non-violence, of possibility, of innocence.
Maybe this could be a worldwide Christian witness to the self giving love of that tiny babe.
Thousands, millions of people simply holding a baby in their arms.
A witness to the disrupting power of non-violence.
Join me.
N.B. this would be intended as a symbolic protest, in case you thought I was suggesting we put real babies in danger.
Category: World Affairs
This Is Something I Regret
So I have been thinking deeply about the forthcoming General Election. I live in a constituency (Gloucester) that has had a Conservative MP for some years- you have to go back to the early 2000’s to see a different colour.
But it is one of the seats that Labour might hope to win this time round (2024).
My question is … if I want to see a more progressive government, who will put the needs of the poorest first, and prioritise our The Climate Catastrophe, The NHS, Schools, Social Care and the Justice System (among others!) … how shall I vote ?
Possible answers … v
1. Vote with my heart and vote Green. Normally that might be seen as a wasted vote in our ‘First Past The Post’ system. But this time the Labour Party are likely to make the new government, so it might not matter what happens to Gloucester … so why not vote Green as the Tories are almost certainly out.
2. Vote Labour on the basis that you never know what will happen in an election, so play it safe.
3. Spoil the ballot paper – the whole system is rigged. So this is one way I can register a protest.
4..Don’t vote – for similar reasons, my Green vote won’t count anyway so why bother
We have a postal vote, and the papers arrived last week. At that point in time, I had decided on option 2, so I filled in the ballot paper and popped it in the post on Friday.
I was too hasty, on reflection. I think I should have gone with my heart. Much as I want to see the Conservative Party out of power, I actually don’t think it will be that different with Labour.
I’ve been reading a book by Ian Dunt – ‘How Westminster Works, And Why It Doesn’t.’ If even a fraction of it is a true reflection of our system of government, then we’re stuffed unless something radical happens.
By that I mean the first step being a reform of the electoral system to some version of PR.
Interestingly, this subject took up a fair bit of time on Radio 4 ‘Any Questions’ and ‘Any Answers’ programme. (But bearing in mind that only about 1 in 7 of people over 15 years of age listen to at least 15 minutes of Radio 4 in a week – (quite a low bar).
Added to that, as a supporter of Palestinian statehood, and incensed by the media coverage of the conflict in Gaza, I am discovering how deep a connection there is between the Labour Party and Israeli interests. That’s seriously worrying. See here
I wish I could take my vote back. No political party is perfect of course, but I believe that the Greens have it more right than the others.
Let me know what you think …
Every Day Is Nakba Day
Today is May 15th, the day when Palestinians mark the forced removal of Palestinians from their homes in 1948 to make room for the Jews coming from Europe to settle in Palestine. The name Nakba means catastrophe or disaster. Nakba Day is generally commemorated on 15 May, the day after the date in the Gregorian calendar of Israel’s Independence in 1948.
This poem is part of a collection of poems ‘Things you may find hidden in my ear,’ by Mosab Abu Toha, a poet from Gaza.
The poem looks back at the Nakba, which is a daily reality for the Palestinian people. It is being reenacted now in the West Bank as Israeli settlers take over Palestinian land, and in the horrendous war in Gaza, as many people are fleeing to a place of safety, probably never to return to Gaza. Once more a catastrophe is occurring, as history is repeated. May God have mercy on us.
My Grandfather Was A Terrorist
My grandfather was a terrorist—
He tended to his field,
watered the roses in the courtyard,
smoked cigarettes with grandmother
on the yellow beach, lying there
like a prayer rug.
My grandfather was a terrorist—
He picked oranges and lemons,
went fishing with brothers until noon,
sang a comforting song en route
to the farrier’s with his piebald horse.
My grandfather was a terrorist—
He made a cup of tea with milk,
sat on his verdant land,
as soft as silk.
My grandfather was a terrorist—
He departed his house,
leaving it for the coming guests,
left some water on the table, his best,
lest the guests die of thirst after their conquest.
My grandfather was a terrorist—
He walked to the closest safe town,
empty as the sullen sky.
vacant as a deserted tent,
dark as a starless night.
My grandfather was a terrorist—
My grandfather was a man,
a breadwinner for ten,
whose luxury was to have a tent,
with a blue UN flag set on the rusting pole,
on the beach next to a cemetery.
By Mosab Abu Toha
I’m Reading The Argos Catalogue
When our children were little, one of the things they loved to do was to browse through the Argos catalogue. (Argos is a UK store that sells a whole variety of stuff from toys to electronics to household goods.)
Back in the dim and distant past, (The late 60’s), there was another catalogue, called the. Whole Earth Catalog – an actual physical catalogue produced by the counter culture in the USA. It was a mix of essays and product reviews, designed to connect those who wanted to bring about change and work for a more fair and equal society, and give them the tools for that work.
It was referred to by Steve Jobs as a kind of ‘Google in paper form’ that existed before the internet.
In fact it was the direct precursor to the World Wide Web.
The purpose of the internet in the mind of those who built on the aims of The Whole Earth Catalog was that it gave access to information to all, and a forum for the exchange of ideas, for the betterment of humanity.
You can hear more about it in the recent BBC series ‘Gatekeepers’
We now know what those originators of the www. did not know. That the internet would give rise to stalking, fake news, exploitation, misinformation, cyber crime, and a host of other unintended consequences, as well as many positive dimensions.
Like every new development, it has the potential for good, and for ill. We’re now facing the same situation with AI, but we are already so far into the age of AI that we probably won’t be able to guard against the negative effects of that technology.
So what ?
I’m not telling you much that you didn’t already know, so what’s my point ?
It’s the age old question of how to respond to culture – withdraw, assimilate, confront or engage ?
I guess the answer is for me to engage, always. I’ve been tempted recently to withdraw – to disengage with social media etc – but I’m still here.
Admittedly some things have gone. The twitter and instagram accounts that I almost never used are no longer. (I hope they do get deleted)
Facebook remains for me a helpful way of accessing information, but not especially as a forum for debate.
This platform is mainly for me to get my thoughts in order, and try to make sense of what’s going on, and I welcome comments.
But the direction I’d like to travel is to do with getting smaller – trying to find ways to engage with people face to face, where there is the possibility of fostering relationship and dialogue.
That’s all for now. Blessings on you.
You’ld Think They Would Understand
I read this psalm this morning
Responsorial Psalm
Jeremiah 31:10-13
R: Response
The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.
O nations, hear the word of the Lord,
proclaim it to the far-off coasts.
Say: ‘He who scattered Israel will gather him
and guard him as a shepherd guards his flock’ R
For the Lord has ransomed Jacob,
has saved him from an overpowering hand.
They will come and shout for joy on Mount Zion,
they will stream to the blessings of the Lord. R
Then the young girls will rejoice and will dance,
the men, young and old, will be glad.
I will turn their mourning into joy.
I will console them, give gladness for grief. R
The prophet Jeremiah is writing about ‘The overpowering hand’ … that had subjected Israel to captivity, humiliation, exile and death for many. Removed them from their ancestral home.
It happened in Jeremiah’s time. It happened again in persecution and pogroms, and holocaust.
Jeremiah tells of a time when that humiliation will pass. When life will return to normal. There will once again be laughing, dancing, joy.
One would hope that a people who had experienced such devastation would recognise that they themselves have become the overpowering hand. The foot on the throat.
O to be able to speak the words of the psalm to Gaza and the people of the West Bank ? To say that the Lord will save them, that they will rejoice again ? How long ? How long ?
Something Greater Than Jonah Needed
Today the British Parliament will be debating whether to support a ceasefire in Gaza. The various political parties have differing stances with their subtext and starting point being on balance either –
Outrage at the 7th October Hamas attacks and support for Israel’s right to defend itself, or
devastation at the loss of life in Gaza, and an outright call for a ceasefire.
It’s a mess, and not one that will yield a solution, barring a miracle, in the near future.
It feels like it’s one of those proxy battles – in this case being fought between the more extreme powers in USA/Europe and the more militant of the Arab nations.
The state of Israel, founded in 1948, has its birth and much of its energy coming out of the persecution of the Jewish people over centuries, and has its roots in a modern European way of operating.
The Palestinian people are still essentially a Middle Eastern culture, and identify with nations around with a similar history.
For the USA or European government to call unequivocally for a ceasefire would be seen to side more with the Palestinian people in Gaza and the Occupied Territories, and somehow betray western values, and the state of Israel that has its beginnings in Europe.
And in the end it’s all about money and power and who is going to have your back at the end of the day.
Both sides in this conflict are ‘hurt people.’ And you know the saying – ‘hurt people hurt people.’
I read this verse this morning. Luke’s Gospel Chapter 11 verse 32.
“The people of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and now something greater than Jonah is here.”
The Old Testament story of Jonah is about his calling as a prophet. He was sent by God to preach to the people of Nineveh to change from their sinful ways. They did repent, and Jonah was surprised and angry. He never imagined that they would repent, and thought they had got off too lightly.
But they did listen and they did change. So they have the right to challenge others who need to change. They saw that they were living on a destructive path and turned around.
Where are today’s Ninevites ? Where are the ones who have seen their failings and made a decision to be different ? We need them to witness to their unholy past, and challenge this generation and condemn it.
And by this generation, I do not simply mean Hamas and The State of Israel, although at this time maybe they are first in line. I mean all those who measure life in their ability to control dollars and bombs, and oil and water, and propaganda and terror.
What we are seeing in Israel Palestine is a playing out of history, and we need someone or something that is greater even than Jonah.
The Blackbird, Squirrel And Me
Having been inactive for a while due to a long lasting heavy cold, and Christmas celebrations, I went out for a run today.
I was thinking about the practice of ‘Terra Divina’, and looking around me as I ran. The first thing I noticed was the litter, but I didn’t feel like a meditation on waste; then I looked up at the sky – grey and cold; nothing there that inspired me.
I ran on. As I rounded a corner I saw a blackbird, pecking for food on the ground. I stopped and watched for a while, and as I watched, a squirrel scampered up a tree nearby and then leapt from one branch to another, stopped, and looked at me. (Or, at least, it seemed like it was looking at me). After a moment, it carried on climbing and out of sight.
I paused and thought – both the blackbird and the squirrel are simply being themselves. That’s what they do. They can do no other than be a blackbird, or a squirrel.
For us, it’s a lot more complicated. We often try to be something else, or are forced by our circumstances to be something other than who we really are.
I had started the day reading a few verses from Mark’s Gospel, where Jesus crosses over into Gentile territory and meets a man possessed by demons. Jesus casts out the demons, and the man is described as once more being ‘in his right mind.’ (Mark chapter 5)
It feels to me like this is what we all want, and are hopefully moving towards – to be free of all that tries to drag us away from who we are, and become ourselves, wholly, completely.
It can then be a personal thing, but in the context of the passage from Mark’s Gospel it can be about something wider. In the account of the Demon possessed man, we learn that he is called ‘Legion’, and that the territory where he lives is not only Gentile land, but is the furthest extent eastwards of the Roman Empire.
There’s something much deeper going on than a healing miracle. Jesus has already been in conflict with the religious authorities – who were very powerful in the community; he now enters the region where Rome rules, and in the healing of the demon possessed man he announces that the kingdom of God is stronger than, and of a very different nature to the Roman Empire.
The man is a stand in for Israel; the ‘Legion’ of demons represents the might of Rome. The command that Jesus speaks to cast out the demons is the word that a Roman officer would use to command a soldier. The signs are all there. Jesus’ mission is not only to help people be ‘in their right minds’, it’s also to restore to Israel a way of living that is truly, genuinely who they are called to be.
As I reflect on this whole question of the things that prevent us from flourishing and being truly ourselves, I’m thinking about the situation in Gaza and how the imprisoned population of that strip of land have been unable to live freely for years. Blockaded with little access to the outside world.
I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that it feels like Gaza and the West Bank are like first century Palestine; like the demon possessed man. While Israel is a stand in for first century Rome – the occupying force, the presence that needs exorcising in order for the Palestinian people to be once more ‘in their right mind.’
May we all recognise the things that prevent us from being who we are, and experience more freedom, day by day.
–
Reading Scripture From The Margins
I walked to church this morning. it’s about a half an hour walk, and on the way I was thinking about stuff that’s going on in the world, especially Israel and Gaza. I had noted down this phrase few days ago that came into my mind. – ‘stories that no one should have known’ – there are so many stories that we’ve heard that no one should ever have to hear.
Then, in church, we had this reading from Isaiah chapter 41
14 Do not fear, you worm Jacob,
you insect Israel!
I will help you, says the Lord;
your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.
15 Now, I will make of you a threshing-sledge,
sharp, new, and having teeth;
you shall thresh the mountains and crush them,
and you shall make the hills like chaff.
16 You shall winnow them and the wind shall carry them away,
and the tempest shall scatter them.
Then you shall rejoice in the Lord;
in the Holy One of Israel you shall glory.
17 When the poor and needy seek water,
and there is none,
and their tongue is parched with thirst,
I the Lord will answer them,
I the God of Israel will not forsake them.
18 I will open rivers on the bare heights,
and fountains in the midst of the valleys;
I will make the wilderness a pool of water,
and the dry land springs of water.
19 I will put in the wilderness the cedar,
the acacia, the myrtle, and the olive;
I will set in the desert the cypress,
the plane and the pine together,
20 so that all may see and know,
all may consider and understand,
that the hand of the Lord has done this,
the Holy One of Israel has created it.
I looked at these words. And God’s word to Israel where God says “you shall thresh the mountains and crush them … you shall make the hills like chaff … and the wind shall carry them away.”
It brought to mind the intent of the state of Israel, that their aim is to do away with Hamas completely, and similarly, the aim of Hamas to do away with the state of Israel completely. (I will make of you a threshing sledge)
Reading scripture is a dangerous business. I fear that there are those who might see justification in holy scripture for acts that are unholy.
I wonder if some might be tempted to see in these verses an encouragement to continue in acts of terror, or in raining down bombs on Gaza – and to see that as God‘s work ? I trust not.
The thing about the Bible, both the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament is that they are written by and to people on the margins. These verses in Isaiah are written to the people of Israel who have been in captivity in Babylon. They are the ones without power. Context is – well, if not everything, then almost everything.
These words – all of them – are addressed to the poor and needy, those parched with thirst. And who are those people ? Not Hamas, and not the State of Israel, but citizens of Israel and Gaza and everywhere else where the might of military power is at work to terrorise and subdue.
The violence in the language is utterly human and borne out of powerlessness and suffering. But in the end, the aim is not destruction, which is easy to understand and all around us, but something that always seems out of our reach and yet is held out to us as hope.
These words, from earlier in the Isaiah prophecy give us a sense of what that might be – The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. (Isaiah 11 verse 6)
God is God of the poor and the suffering. Hear our prayer for them.
I Pray We Not Fear
I’m posting today lyrics of a song by Bruce Cockburn. It’s from his latest album, ‘O Sun O Moon.’
I’ve been listening to this album non-stop since seeing him perform live at the Greenbelt Festival back in August.
It’s partly lament, but remembering also the good of which we are capable when we are at our best.
Truth, Justice, Mercy and Peace.
Us All
Here we are, faced with choice
Shutters and walls or open embrace
Like it or not, the human race
Is us all
History is what it is
Scars we inflict on each other don’t die
But slowly soak into the DNA
Of us all
Us all
I pray we not fear to love
I pray we be free of judgement and shame
Open the vein, let kindness rain
O’er us all
Us all
Us all
Caught up in this battle
On the weekend of October 7/8, we saw the beginning of a terrifying situation unfolding in Israel/Palestine.
Caught up in this battle between Hamas extremists and the state of Israel are ordinary Palestinian people.
Since 1948 their freedoms have been eroded. They live with many restrictions on their daily lives, and the state of Israel has gradually taken over their land and demolished their houses.
Somehow, the inequality of the situation must be recognised.
The reality of the injustice must not be overlooked or confused with what is now going on with the war.
Meanwhile, context is everything.
It’s understandable to focus in the immediate aftermath on the families who have lost love ones, and to condemn attacks on civilians of both sides.
But at some point news reporting must give the context of what has been happening in Palestine since 1917 and the favouritism shown to The state of Israel.
Five Short Words 