Interesting times

'May you live in interesting times' is supposed to be an old Chinese curse (it isn't but most people think it is!). But we certainly do live in interesting times here in the UK.....

I have a Christian faith. As such, it's been sad to observe the recent Government ruling on adoption, effectively forcing Catholic adoption agencies to compromise their faith by recognising gay couples. It seems to me that when we look back on this decision, it will be seen as something of a watershed. In recent years, we have moved from being a Christian country to being a multi-faith country. (I welcome multi-cultural but regret the crumbling of the Christian foundations our society was built on).

With this latest Government ruling, I wonder if we have now moved a step closer to being an anti-Christian country?

It's a hard one for the Government. They have some outspoken ministers on this (Peter Hain in particular). But they also have a number who hold a Christian faith. Blair appears to, as does Brown, Straw, Kelly. Sadly, their efforts to bring in non-discrimination legislation (a welcome move)is forcing a compromise on those with a Christian faith. For the church, it is not an issue of discrimination, it is an issue of what the Bible says is unnatural.

So, intersting times. Christians have dealt with 'persecution' before of course. It's just sad it is happening here at home.

Barefoot on the grass

A friend has just asked me to pray for his mum who has been diagnosed with cancer. That's what my mum died of a few years back. So I'll pray- and I know.

We only have one life. And we just don't know how long that life will be. It's the age old question of course, but if you were to die tonight, would you be able to look back on your life with satisfaction? Or maybe with a sense there could have been more?

An old monk was once asked on his deathbed what he would have done differently with his life. Bear in mind he had lived a simple, God loving, life. But he said he would have done something- he would have walked barefoot on the grass more often. Even for him, there were simple things he would have liked to have enjoyed.

Simple things. Family things. Holidays we meant to take. Presents we meant to give. People we meant to call.

So I'm not being morbid, but we only have one life. Don't forget to walk barefoot on the grass.

Lists part 2

Hey, maybe I'm not so sad after all. Having been at church on Sunday, we are starting down a list called God's Top Ten. It's the ten commandments presented rather differently. And the first preach arrived along with Top of the Pops theme music(.....you had to be there....).

Come to think of it, God makes lots of lists in the Bible. Lists of families, lists of churches, lists of heroes, lists of kings.... So maybe I'm not quite so sad....?

Lists

Have you ever noticed how much men like lists? And it really does seem to be a man thing. Maybe they are out there, but I have yet to meet a woman who loves making lists. They may have to, but they don't want to. Men on the other hand, have a fascination with the top ten of everything. A whole magazine industry has been born off the back of it- your top ten women, top ten holiday resorts, worst pop records of all time, ten things to do before you die.... and so on.

I have to admit I'm one of them. A man yes, but also a list maker. I was making lists while I was still in shorts! I had my own alternative top 20 to the one on Radio 1. And I used to keep up the revised list on a weekly basis. OK, so maybe I'm a bit sad....

One list I still keep, at least in my head, is things I'd like to treat my wife to. The problem is, the list remains a list most of the time. So tonight I did something about it. We're off to see a play in the West End next month that has been on my to-do list for too long.

Go on. Make a list. And then cross something off it. It won't get done otherwise.

Where's your aim?

One of my favourite quotes is from the American author Mark Twain. He says 'Aim at nothing and you'll be sure to hit it'!

So true. It's just so easy to take each day as it comes, giving it little thought and little planning. We drive to the same old job, laugh at the boss's same old jokes, come back to the same old wife(!), watch the same old tv, go to the same old bed, and get up again the same old way..... Before we know it, another week is over, another month, another year. Aim at nothing and you'll be sure to hit it.

I'm not great on New Year resolutions, but how about a simple one- as you get out of bed each day, thank God it's a new day and really not the same old world.

Fear

Have you noticed that so many issues and conflicts are as a result of fear? The whole cold war was the States fearing Russia and Russia fearing the States. The same is true today with the West and Moslem countries. On a micro scale, how about us? A fear of open spaces, for example, leads to staying inside. A fear of the unknown leads to sleepless nights.

The new job has gone well. 3 days in, and i'm still there! Whats more, the fear of the unknown is no longer present. I can sleep at night.

Stepping off mountains

I don't know if you remember the old Indiana Jones movie where he's on a mountain side and has to step off into thin air? That's how I feel right now... In a few hours I start a new job. It's the middle of the night, I can't sleep and it seems to me that I'm about to step off a mountain into thin air.

But if you remember the movie, it's as he takes this step of faith, that a whole new path opens up in front of him. The Bible talks about God giving us a hope and a future. So as I step out in a few hours time, I'm trusting there's a whole new path to step on to. A hope and a future.

In the meantime, if I could just get some sleep....