French military leader and statesman Charles de Gaulle was a man with a good grasp of attempting the impossible. While serving as President of France he asked the presumably rhetorical question ‘How can you govern a country which has two hundred and forty-six varieties of cheese?’ Understandably, he didn’t attempt an answer.

De Gaulle understood the impossible. Others less so.

William Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin was a hugely successful mathematical physicist, engineer and inventor. Among other things he was knighted for his work on a transatlantic telegraph cable, he determined the lower limit of absolute temperature, and had had the scale of temperature measurements named in his honour. He wasn’t always right though. In 1895 he declared that ‘heavier than air flying machines are impossible’. It was just eight years later that he was shown to be completely and utterly wrong.

The history of mankind is littered with some spectacular achievements that undoubtedly started out looking not just impractical, but completely out of the question. The first attempts, glorious failures and partial victories that make up the road to success often go unnoticed, as it’s only the final triumphant success that gets credit. And then the previously unthinkable becomes feasible, and what was impossible is not just possible, but a part of everyday life.

The bible tells us about a conversation that Jesus had with a wealthy young man who wanted to know how he might get eternal life. The culmination of their discussion sees the young man walk away when it all seems too hard, and then Jesus tells his disciples, ‘ it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.’

As wealth was seen as a blessing from God, who then could be saved?

Jesus tells us. “All things are possible with God.”

For the greatest to the least, we are all welcomed by God. He doesn’t see the colour of our hair or skin, our width or our height. He doesn’t see our wealth or lack of it. With the life that faith in Jesus Christ offers, God just sees possibilities.

(August 2017)

Several years ago, the company that make Swan Vesta matches encouraged their employees to make suggestions that might improve their business. History doesn’t record how many different ideas they were presented with, or how truly dreadful the majority might have been. One however, ended up with a change to the business that had a significant financial impact.

Every box of Swan Vesta matches had a strip of sandpaper stuck to both sides of the box for the matches to be struck on. The ingenious member of staff asked why two were necessary – surely one would be enough.

The company agreed, reduced the number of sandpaper sides to one, and saved themselves tens of thousands of pounds a year in the process.

Questioning the accepted way of doing things will often yield unexpected results, and one small change can make an enormous difference.

From turning off the light when leaving a room, to showering instead of taking a bath, altering behaviour around the home has a direct impact on the energy consumed, and by extension the health of the planet. Swapping out ice cream for frozen yoghurt will have a positive impact on the waistline. Walking instead of driving short distances does the same, as well as reducing pollution.

When Jesus walked the earth, he had very little to say on diet, or motor vehicles of any sort for that matter. But speaking about change was a subject he came back to time and time again.

On one occasion, when he was speaking to crowds of people on a mountainside, Jesus asked them to think about the law they knew so well. The Ten Commandments were ancient laws that his listeners would have been very familiar with. He suggested changing the way that they looked at them, especially when it came to showing love.

‘You have heard it said love your neighbours and hate your enemies’, says Jesus. ‘But I say love your enemies and pray for those who mistreat you.’

At a time when hate and mistrust and suspicion are so rife, showing God’s love to those who are unable to love us back can be hard. But it might just change the world.

(July 2017)

The local elections in May 2017 had many fascinating moments. As neighbourhood issues came to the forefront, the partisan nature of national politics was not as pronounced. Tribal loyalties featured less heavily as is inevitably the case in a nationwide General Election.

Despite the lower turnout and relative lack of engagement, the contests were still keenly fought, and in some places extraordinarily close run.

Nowhere was this more the case than in the South Blyth ward in Northumberland. After two recounts, the number of votes stood equal, so the candidates drew straws to decide who would take the seat. For a result of an election to come to quite literally to the luck of the draw was an extraordinary piece of political theatre.

It does underline the importance of engaging in elections and being involved in the political process. Never has there been a better example of every vote counting.

As followers of Jesus Christ, we have a particular responsibility to participate in an election, and that responsibility begins with prayer.

In his first letter to his friend Timothy, the bible tells us that the apostle Paul says this – ‘I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people – for kings and all those in authority’. So praying for all those who are elected, from whichever shade of political opinion they come from, should be out initial response.

Actually voting is vital too. Although Jesus never had then opportunity to make his mark at the ballot box, he did speak about engaging with the instruments of government.

Matthew’s gospel records how a group of religious leaders tried to trap Jesus into declaring himself as either a rebel or collaborator by asking him a question about paying tax.

Jesus response – ‘give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s’ – was on the surface about the payment of that tax. However it also speaks about our duty as citizens to be involved with our government and its leaders, and elections, local or national, give us the opportunity to do just that.

(June 2017)

At the end of the 1970’s, in the days before multi-channel television, children’s programming was limited to two hours on a weekday evening. Alongside controversial school drama Grange Hill, adventurous space dwellers The Clangers, and magazine show Blue Peter, was Vision On. Aimed especially at children with hearing impairment, Vision On featured an assortment of segments, one of which was The Gallery. This section consisted of artwork sent in by viewers which covered every subject imaginable, and ended with one of the presenters apologising that they couldn’t return the pictures, but there was a prize for everyone whose art had been shown.

That so many children were willing to send in their prized art speaks volumes both about the show, but also about the nature of art. It speaks in a way that words are unable to.

The history of art in Christianity reflects the history of the faith itself. From the earliest times, within a century or so of Christ’s death, there are paintings and sculpture that depict various aspects of Christian belief. Most notably, many of these works portray Christ himself, although the conventional depiction of Jesus as a long haired bearded figure didn’t become established until at least the sixth century.

Before then, artists had used the ethnic characteristics of their own community when creating images of Jesus.

The Christ We Share is a collection of some thirty or more modern pictures of Christ from cultures across the globe. Here we find Jesus sitting with other tribesmen around a fire in the plains of Africa. He is shown as a South American styled bandit staring out from a ‘wanted’ poster. He is a blonde blue eyed meek and mild figure surrounded by birds and small furry animals.

I wonder what image comes into our minds when we think about the person of Jesus Christ?

Although we know much about what he did and what he said, his physical appearance isn’t mentioned at all in the bible. But he nevertheless continues to inspire artists from every corner of the earth. And why? Because he walks with us. He speaks with us. He identifies with us. He is God. And who wouldn’t want to know what God looks like?

(May 2017)

Forty minutes for a soft boiled egg sounds like overkill. And if it’s chickens you keep in your garden, that would undoubtedly be the case. If however you’re an ostrich farmer, forty minutes seems just about right.

Decorating eggs is a practice with a long history. Sumerians and Egyptians who lived more than five thousand years ago placed embellished eggs in graves, and in parts of Africa engraved ostrich eggs that had been used as water carriers have been found which date from some 60,000 years ago.

Eggs had, quite understandably, been a symbol of fertility and rebirth when Christians began using them as a symbol of the empty tomb of the very first Easter. The outside of the egg appears dead, but inside there is new life about to break out. For Christians. it’s a reminder that when Jesus rises from the tomb he brings new life too.

Early Christians began staining the eggs red in memory of the blood of Jesus shed at his crucifixion in Mesopotamia. The custom spread form there through the Orthodox Church to Russia and then through the Catholic & Protestant churches into Europe and beyond.

And so Easter & eggs became inextricably linked.

The shelves of our national supermarkets are loaded to capacity with hundreds of different chocolate eggs at Easter. From Cadbury, to Green & Blacks, to Lego, every brand wants to take a chunk of the market – but for so many consumers, the reason we have the eggs at this time of year is at best fuzzy.

The Meaningful Chocolate Company is trying to change that with their Real Easter Egg. They have sold more than a million of these Fairtrade eggs over the last six years. Each of them comes with a beautifully illustrated 24 page Easter story activity book that explains the meaning of Easter. New Life.

That’s what Christians celebrate at Easter. Jesus Christ who was beaten, whipped, crucified and died, is alive again. And because of his death and resurrection, New Life in God is available to everyone.

Happy Easter!

(April 2017)

Despite the obvious issues, like a complete absence of talent, I have sometimes fancied the life of a professional sportsman. The big house, the fast cars, the expensive restaurants, the adoring fans, and for that you only have to been seen working in public  for a couple of hours or so each week. It’s so close to the life of a vicar as to be uncanny.

The salary that the biggest stars of sport receive have their attractions too. From Premiership footballers, to tennis wonderkids, to the star quarterbacks in the NFL, millions of pounds are the going rate.

All this dwarfs into insignificance when compared to the career of one Gaius Appuleius Diocles. Diocles was a second century charioteer who took part in more than 4000 races over twenty four years. He was hugely popular, and extraordinarily successful. His victories earned him an amount that would be the equivalent of some $15 billion today.

The pursuit of glory and wealth is a common story. So often the richest and most powerful individuals in our society are feted, celebrated and admired.

But in God’s economy things look a little different. This is where it’s very much more about what you do with what you have.

The bible tells us that Jesus was in the temple when he saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. Jesus spoke to his followers ‘this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.’

Generosity is not tied to an absolute figure or the preserve of the rich and famous.

There is  a prayer of King David from the bible that we sometimes use when monetary gifts are collected together in a church service. It reads ‘all things come from You, and of Your own do we give You’. Everything we have, great or small, belongs to God in the first place. We are only temporary custodians. Giving freely and unselfishly can only begin to honour God’s amazing generosity to us. But it’s a good place to start.

(March 2017)

The cultural differences of countries across the world that are exposed by studies and polling makes for fascinating reading. They also tell us a great deal about the national psyche of the country in question.

A survey on alcohol consumption sees the UK preferring beer, France opting for wine, and Russia choosing spirits. The image of British lager louts, wine quaffing French and Vodka addled Kremlin super-spies may seem clichéd, but don’t seem too far from the mark.

The variety of highly favoured US exports of TV shows paint another picture.

For a nation with a rich history of political intrigue and brutal dictators, ‘Game of Thrones’ being Russia’s number one is no surprise. Neither is Australia’s choice of the award winning comedy ‘The Big Bang Theory’. Why Mexicans are quite so fond of ‘SpongeBob SquarePants’ though is more of a mystery.

The most popular Bible verse also gives a real insight into what concerns citizens of the nations the most.

In the west, The US, the UK and Canada, it’s Romans 12 verse 2, which begins “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” In cultures that see constant demands of a consumer society, fixated on celebrity, the search for a different way of being finds an answer in Scripture.

In The South American nations of Columbia and Brazil, Joshua 1 verse 9 is favoured. “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” The history of these countries account for just why they go back to this verse again and again.

And for South Korea, a country constantly facing the unpredictability of their trigger happy neighbours to the North, the words of Philippians 4 verse 6, “”Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”, explain why it’s the most popular there.

The Bible is not a book of long dead history, or just a handy moral guide, but the ongoing story of God’s love for his creation, through which God still speaks. It’s a book worth reading, and time with the Bible is time well spent. Why not dust it down, open it up, and find what God might have to say to you.

(February 2017)

While hunting for the deadly great white shark in Steven Spielberg’s Oscar winning masterpiece Jaws, the hero of the film, Police Chief Brody, gets his first look at exactly how massive the killer shark truly is. Standing on the deck of the small fishing vessel that has taken him out to sea, Brody turns to the ship’s captain, and completely off-script utters the now famous line ‘ You’re going to need a bigger boat’.

I read an article recently about how this, and a good number of the great lines in cinema history, was ad-libbed rather than following the original script.

There are undoubtedly times in our lives which seem to be more about improvising than following a pre-determined path.

Not so many years back, young men would follow in their father’s footsteps. If dad was a baker, you would be too, and so would your son and grandson and so on. Even now, for many people their path from GCSEs to A-levels to university to job to relationship to children to retirement seems a well worn pattern that follows relentlessly on.

Despite all this preparation, when we are faced with unusual or unexpected situations, our past experience and training can count for nothing. Sometimes it feels as if we’re making it up as we go along. We end up going completely off script.

As we take our first few steps into the beginning of another new year, there will be determined resolutions, firm pledges and resolute intent, to change one thing or another about the way we are. Giving something up, laying down an old habit, or starting something new. It’s just as certain that despite our best intentions, we will find unforeseen hurdles and challenges in front of us.

We may find ourselves unsure, uncertain what to say or do. However in the midst of this is an unchanging God, who as the prophet Isaiah puts it, is always doing a new thing. But He doesn’t ad-lib. He doesn’t improvise. He doesn’t go off-script. We can hold on to Him. The God who will be there for us whatever we face.

(January 2017)

Christmas trees, presents, wrapping paper, candles, tinsel, carols, bells, snowmen, reindeer, stockings, turkey, mistletoe, mince pies & wise men. This season is jam packed full of tradition and history.

But no Christmas can ever be called complete without a novelty song.

If Aled Jones singing ‘Walking in the air’ is not your thing, then maybe Slade’s ‘Merry Christmas Everybody’ is more to your taste. Or if you’re wedded to the sounds of the 1970’s, then Boney M’s ‘Mary’s Boy Child’ could be the one that gets you in the Christmas mood.

In the winter of 1964, the Go Go’s released a very special novelty record which opened with these words.

I’m gonna spend my Christmas with a Dalek
And hug it underneath the mistletoe
And if he’s very nice
I’ll feed him sugar spice
And hang a Christmas stocking from his big left toe.

Which shows not only a woeful lack of knowledge about the anatomy of a Dalek, but confirms the feeling that nothing says Christmas like the opportunity of celebrating it with a genetically engineered race of evil machine/mutant hybrids intent on galaxy wide domination.

The lyrical content of Christmas Carols is somewhat more appropriate.

Whether focussing on shepherds in a field outside of Bethlehem, the journey of Wise Men, or the voices of angels, the events surrounding the birth of Christ have inspired generations of songwriters

Of all the carol’s that we sing at Christmas, the one that best reflects the extraordinary gift that God gave the world in the form of his son Jesus, and our response to it, has to be ‘In the Bleak Midwinter’.

Despite it’s talk of frosty wind and earth as hard as iron, unlikely scenarios given the location of Jesus birth, we still hear the Good News that the God of heaven came to earth to be among us.  And there is nothing we can do that can ever repay what God has done for us. All we have to give is ourselves.

At this Christmas time, in a season of snowmen, mistletoe, and festive songs, sensible or otherwise, giving ourselves to God is a gift worth singing about.

(December 2016)

The British politician William Ewart is a man who the vast majority of the public have never heard of. Born in 1798, Ewart entered parliament in 1828. His wide ranging political career saw him serve as MP for Bletchingley in Surrey, Liverpool, Wigan and then finally for Dumfries Burghs in Scotland.

Ewart was instrumental in establishing free public libraries, for legalising the metric system of weights and measures, and he fought unsuccessfully for the abolition of capital punishment. Of all his achievements, the one he will be remembered for, was that he conceived the idea of a Blue plaque installed in a public place to commemorate a link between a famous person or event.

The first two of these plaques appeared in 1867, when the Society of Arts had one to mark the birthplace of the poet Lord Byron placed in Cavendish Square, and the other at King Street in Westminster in a previous home of French President, Napoleon III.

From those early days, there are now more than 900 blue plaques all over London. The diverse list of individuals whose name appear on these plaques includes literary giants Evelyn Waugh and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, athlete Harold Abrahams and footballer Bobby Moore, aviator Amy Johnson, women’s suffrage campaigner Emily Pankhurst, astronomer Sir Frank Dyson and composer Gustav Holst.

The criteria for the recipient of a blue plaque starts with the requirement that the person proposed must have died at least twenty years ago, and that the building genuinely has an association with them. Apart from that, members of the public are encouraged to make nominations from all walks of life.

Despite the many potential people who could end up with their name on a Blue Plaque, there are millions more whose contributions to our world will end up forgotten. Men who struggled to bring up a family on their own. Women who gave their lives to feed the homeless. Children who befriended the friendless.

God does not forget. The bible tells us in the Psalms that he knows us fully and intimately – from even before we were born. He loves us unconditionally, and doesn’t need us to have any kind of celebrity or public recognition. If there was a plaque that sat on the walls of heaven with our names on it, it would say ‘Child of God, loved completely.’

(November 2016)