When the Spirit…?

It seemed too hot today to be inside Lacock Church. I remember nostalgically a very outdoor church building that I enjoyed in Thailand some years ago, where birds flying in and out were very much part of the congregation. Perhaps that is good symbolism for today, when many churches (including Lacock) celebrate Pentecost – the coming of God's spirit.

We listened to a reading from the Acts of the Apostles, where Peter quotes the prophet Joel: In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people.

I found myself noticing the word all, and that the text does not say all Jews or all Christians, just all people. I'm sure the early Church was right to get excited at this kind of dramatic preview that took place in Jerusalem, and to gradually recognise the significance of it for their lives and ministry. I remember sharing that excitement in the early days of my own Christian faith particularly; however today I find myself hoping for the fulfilment of Joel's prophecy. What will it look like?! How will it feel?!

It seems to me the church teaching has sometimes been quite possessive of what happened at that event in Jerusalem around two thousand years ago. Today on this hot day the church just seemed too small an enclosure, separating us from the glory outside even as we remembered Jesus' presence with us, and the refreshing breeze was mainly (but not entirely) outdoors.

Losing sight of our interconnectedness

Flicking again through the pages of the April edition of Christian Politics which arrived in my mail, I notice some interesting pieces on communtiy in an article by Lord David Alton.

He speaks firstly of how 'Nelson Mandela promotes the old African belief in Ubuntu: “a person is a person because of other people.” Mandela says: “Ubuntu does not mean that people should not enrich themselves. The question therefore is: 'Are you going to do so in order to enable the community around you to improve?' ” Archbishop Desmond Tutu explained Ubuntu by saying: “Ubuntu is the essence of being human. Ubuntu speaks particularly about the fact that you can't exist as a human being in isolation. It speaks about our interconnectedness. You can't be human all by yourself, and when you have this quality – Ubuntu – you are known for your generosity.” ' Perhaps to include European references also, Lord Alton later quotes Jonn Donne: “No man is an island entire of itself.”

This challenges excessively individualistic or self-centred ideologies of personal development, but makes me wonder whether it means that a hermit or a lone survivor of a disaster ceases to be human!

His other fascinating quote is from (American Indian) Chief Seattle, which says some interesting things about both community and environment. Surely he is right to say that to harm the earth is to “heap contempt on its creator.”

“This we know; the earth does not belong to man; man belongs to the earth. This we know. All things are connected like the blood which unites one family. All things are connected. Even the white man, whose God walks and talks with him as friend to friend, cannot be exempt from the common destiny. We may be brothers after all. We shall see. One thing we know which the white man may one day discover: our God is the same God. You may think now that you own Him as you wish to own our land; but you cannot. He is the God of man, and His compassion is equal for the red man and the white. The earth is precious to Him, and to harm the earth is to heap contempt on its creator. The whites too shall pass; perhaps sooner than all other tribes. Contaminate your bed and you will one night suffocate in your own waste.”

(The Chief Seattle quote comes from Lord Alton's book What Kind of Country. It is a fragment of a speech, probably delivered in 1854 in the context of the sale or surrender of their land. I notice from the internet that there is some controversy over what the Chief actually said, and which translations are best. Various translations seem to locate the words above in quite different places in the speech!)

 

Conservative and Liberal Democrat Coalition publishes its programme

BBC news summary.

Coalition programme, and manifestos from the three main parties, are attached.

Letting go

It's good to read this morning Nick' Clegg's announcement that the new UK government see that the previous government introduced too much legislation. They are going to go through the statute book to see what can be repealed, and ask the public for suggestions.  He says, “We don't, unlike Labour, believe that change in our society must be forced from the centre.. we're not insecure about relinquishing control.” The previous government did introduce some good changes, however I agree with this entirely.

The government “big picture” has to be about increasing personal responsiblity, and so I hope that “letting go” at the centre, and a recognition that government is not synonymous with legislation, will bring about a greater calm in individual citizens' lives too.

Emotion at the gym

My regular evening visit to the gym is often a moving experience, but that is usually to do with the treadmill and not my emotions. It's a challenge working out and watching the television at the same time. Maybe I lost a few extra calories that way.

The hour that I chose to exercise contained the resignation of Gordon Brown, followed by the appointment by the Queen of David Cameron as Prime Minister and his arrival at 10 Downing Street. I found it surprisingly emotional to watch Gordon Brown give his resignation speech. I was impressed by his magnanimity and statesmanship. Maybe MPs of all parties are respectful colleagues when they are not fighting to win an election. He has had a tough job to do over the last few years, and some hindsight will be needed to see what help the policies of these thirteen years of Labour Government, and Gordon's actions in particular, have given.

So I hope and pray for success for the new coalition between the Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties, and like to hear David Cameron's determination that this is to be value-based and about politicians being servants not masters.

Importance of investing in people in recession.

Recession, double dip, or depression? It's important to invest in people. Read article.

Beautiful blossom!

One of the highlights of this Spring is the great quantities of colourful blossom on the trees, especially the pink blossom on the cherry trees, and in our British hedgerows. Isn't it beatiful? I'm told that this abundance is caused by the exceptionally cold winter we experienced. In our garden I'm enjoying the flowering of bulbs that we planted at the end of last year, and a new Magnolia Stellata. (Life's not just about politics.)