SUNDAY, FIFTEENTH WEEK

It was the final of the World Cup. Curiously I have got into football during this tournament, even after England’s early eviction. Perhaps the endless passing forward which frustratingly most time end in nothing are like the throwing of the seed on to the path in today’s Gospel, but maybe not. This, after all, is only football.

What can compare with and produce the majesty of this line:

“others fell on rich soil and produced their crop, some a hundred, some sixty, some thirty, listen anyone who has ears.” (Matthew 13:1-21)

MONDAY

We had a statement on Gaza, perhaps the Israeli government should heed Isaiah of today:

“search for justice, help the oppressed, be just to the orphan, plead for the widow.” (Isaiah 1: 10-11)

TUESDAY

Re-shuffle day. I feel like the Flying Dutchman. I have seen so many reshuffles, people going up and the same people going down. Some so long ago, before 1991, that everybody who figured them has now left or is about to leave parliament.

Of course I would have liked to have figured in one of them but not at the price of saying what you don’t believe in or not at the price anyway of saying what you don’t believe in and still getting nowhere. I have seen many like that, of course it is disappointing never to have me given anything but …

“Pay attention, keep calm, have no fear, Do not let your heart sink” (Isaiah 7:1-9)

WEDNESDAY

I remember staring up at the sails of my small boat. I was alone on the sea. Everything, rudder, wind, tide, sails were perfectly balanced. The sails themselves while up were in perfect form against the blue heavens and way beyond Spithead a deeper line of blue washed a distant horizon. Water flowed unthreateningly beneath the boat. What would be more in tune often simplicity is the best way:

“I bless you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth for hiding these things from the learned and clever and revealing them to mere children.” (Matthew 11:25-27)

THURSDAY

I was talking to a friend of mine, a Hindu, about his concept of reincarnation. It seemed to make quite a lot of sense to him that our soul was broken away from the divinity that a bit of this divinity is always seeking a way back, that in our next life we are placed according to how we have behaved in the last.

We had this conversation on a houseboat on the Thames in the midst of a political conversation. It seemed much more interesting than the rest of the evening’s political conversation.

FRIDAY

Perhaps like Hezekiah we should not worry so much. He was at the point of death and told to put his affairs in order. This he did only perhaps because of his acceptance to be given another fifteen years of life.

SATURDAY

The heatwave has broken and the dog retreats from waves of rain, thunder and lightning.

In the local church I read Psalm 28 although sometimes for me Psalm 10 today is more appropriate:

“Lord, why do you stand far off.
And hide yourself…”