Friday 5 May 2017

A prayer for peace.

Most unusually today I have no services. This feels weird.
My church after putting out notices and sending cards to the entire village is having a day of evangelising.
I am not involved. This is my choice.
I find the whole business difficult especially for me right now after the horror in Manchester this week!
I need to be quiet.
I have always drawn back from the more determined efforts of some of my colleagues to shout about the coming of the Holy Spirit...
My faith is a quiet one.
Belief in God for me has never wavered even at times of loss, anger and pain.
I know this is not the case for many people but I find I can't join in the spirit of noisy proclamation.
I have always been like this but it's becoming stronger as I get older...I really don't know why. So this morning I will stay quietly at home, walk my garden and rejoice at the new growth evident all around me.
Every day here is a quiet day now and I am grateful for it...I need that quiet to come to terms with the photographs shown this morning of the young man who bombed a pop concert full of young people.
He looks so ordinary, like many young people I've taught over the years....
How many more ordinary looking young people are waiting for their turn to achieve martyrdom?
I am sad today...for all those people throughout the world whose experience of religion has been negative .
The God I worship of love, joy and beauty is still here. And is still here for Muslims and Jews as well as Christians. Why can't that simple statement unite us?
Lord encircle us all today with that love to keep hate out!
Amen.



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2 comments:

UKViewer said...
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Revjeanrolt said...

Having posted the above I found a comment from a previous post on it! It wasn't relevant to this one so I deleted it...no idea why this happened....just one of life's mysteries!