These are the days of the Prophets

So much talk about the credit crunch / economic crisis has been taken up with statements of either 'We never saw it coming' or 'Why did no-one see it coming.' Last week it came to light that some of the insiders who did see it coming were not thanked for their prophecies of doom and were sacked for their trouble.

I've been ill for the last few days but the positive side effect that comes with that is being pretty much unable to do much except lie in bed and listen to the radio. (I did get up for the rugby!) So it was that I caught most of BBC radio 4 output on Saturday, including Any Questions / Any Answers. Listening to the comments on our economic crisis almost made me get up and email a response. Almost ... Instead 'Mr Angry from Cardiff' let it go ... but now that I am up and well I need to get it out of my system.

During 'Any Questions' the 'same old same old' about no-one could have predicted this came from the politicians who in turn pointed out (on the basis that the best defence is offence) that no-one in the Media had been running stories predicting the problems on TV or in Newspapers. So it seems that no-one could have possible known what was going to happen.

Well .... no. There have been voices in the Church and charities movement clearly criticising the growing culture of individual and corporate debt and prophetically anticipating the future as it has come to pass. Folks such as Kathy Galloway, leader of the Iona Community who six years ago this month gave the The Christian Socialist Movement John Wheatley Lecture, entitled the Spirituality of Economics http://ilrs.org/faith/wheatley2003.pdf Much of what she said there is still so relevant to the crisis of today ... not the financial one but the spiritual crisis that diseases our souls. Of course there have been many others, raising similar prophetic voices, Kathy's lecture just came to mind as one, and I am sure it gives her and others little pleasure to know that their uncomfortable message was been proven right

None of this is to encourage smug I told you so's

but it is to encourage the rest of us to listen again to the voices from the radical margins ... on economics, on ecology, on matters of violence and justice ... because these may well be the days that belong to the prophets.

A Positive Vision?

This is worth reading...

In my darkness...

Our theme at college this week is 'wilderness'. I think ASBOJesus' latest post is very appropriate and helpful:

All Things Considered: God and Darwin

"As we mark the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin, this week Roy Jenkins and a panel of guests explore whether there is any conflict between believing in God and believing in Darwinian evolution."
Special Guest: John Weaver
You can download the podcast here in case you missed it.

In search of true love

John Weaver's BUGB Blog entry for Februay:

The staple diet for many popular magazines like OK and Hello are relationships: who is going out with whom or who has broken up with whom. Amongst the latest are Paul McCartney who is allegedly about to marry his girlfriend Nancy Shevell, and Chelsy Davy who has split up with Prince Harry.

Relationships play an important part in all our lives and our interest stems from our fundamental need for love – the desire to find someone with whom we can share our lives at the deepest and most intimate level. This is something that God intended for us, as we read in Genesis 2.

When God provided Adam with a partner, Eve, she is a “helper fit for” Adam, which in Hebrew has the meaning of one who provides what is lacking in the one needing help, one who is a counterpart, a companion, a complement, and matching Adam’s distinctiveness in creation. There is no sense of superiority or inferiority or subordination here. So here in this second story of creation we have the equality of the sexes; and we find that we need each other for our wholeness.

Scripture tells us that relationships are good. They are to be rejoiced in, and they are affirmed by God, and they find their context in commitment, which Genesis 2 presents as marriage.

Sadly today many relationships between men and women and also between communities and nations are marked by abuse, a lack of trust and a thirst for power and control. Loving relationships are sometimes marked more by fear than by fun; sexual fantasies and temptations get out of hand; and sexuality becomes the context for shame, guilt and destructive and abusive lives.

February brings a day that causes as much joy and heartache as any other day in the year – Valentine’s Day. My youngest grandchild is very fortunate as she was born on February 14^th. No teenage pain for her, not the ‘tragedy’ of no one loving her – she will be awash with cards on Valentine’s Day.

There are varying opinions as to the origin of Valentine’s Day. Some experts state that it originated from St. Valentine, a Roman who was martyred for refusing to give up Christianity. St. Valentine helped Christian martyrs and secretly married couples in defiance of an edict from Emperor Claudius II, who was worried that marriage led to a fall in the number of men joining the army. St. Valentine was condemned to death, beaten with clubs and had his head cut off on 14th February, 269AD. At that time it was the custom in Rome, to celebrate Lupercalia, a pagan feast, where amongst other ceremonies, the names of young women were placed in a box, from which they were drawn by the men in a lottery.

Gradually, February 14^th became the date for exchanging love messages and St. Valentine became the patron saint of lovers. So a day to celebrate one Christian’s sacrificial love and discipleship has become a day of joy or heartbreak, a day to bask in popularity or to feel rejected. Far from a day of celebration, many dread its approach. In Wales you can suffer a ‘double whammy’ with the celebration three weeks earlier on 25^th January of St. Dwynwen’s day, the Welsh patron saint of friendship and love.

St. Dwynwen lived during the 5th century and when she was prevented from marrying her true love she devoted herself to God for the rest of her life. She founded a convent, where a well named after her became a place of pilgrimage. Visitors believed that the sacred fish that lived in the well could foretell whether or not their relationship would be filled with love and happiness.

Valentine or St. Dwynwen cards express one kind of love that we feel for each other, but we will find greater happiness in expressing the love that their lives demonstrated.

‘Journey to Jerusalem’ – a Christian Aid pilgrimage

From the Baptist Union of Great Britain:

During Lent we want to challenge you to go beyond hearing about the people in the Holy Land, and hear from them instead. Every day through Lent, a virtual pilgrimage will take you on an interactive journey. Using short videos, podcasts, photo galleries, prayers and stories it will bring the Holy Land alive. We will follow a route that takes in many of the locations mentioned as part of Jesus' journey towards Jerusalem. And along the way you will be able to find out more about issues, connect with other users, share your views and take part in actions that will help change lives. Our Christian Aid pilgrimage is supported by BUGB, and the Faith and Unity Department have been involved in preparing some of the material that will be used. To sign up go to: http://www.christianaid.org.uk/getinvolved/lent/journey-to-jerusalem.aspx