Tag: Ian Banks

Shema Yisrael! Hear, O Israel! The word shema means more than listen. It means obey. Do something. If you don’t do, then you’ve not heard.

We need to figure out who we are and what we should be doing. What kind of mother or father, husband or wife, son or daughter will we be?

Jesus no longer dazzles. He’s back in his dusty robes when we meet the second beloved son. One at the top of the mountain. One at the bottom.

Genesis. In Hebrew it’s B’resheet. ‘In beginning. A book of beginnings. We see the dawning of our universe, our world and ourselves.

Luke quickly introduces Simeon and then Anna. He introduces song and passion and expectancy. Now we get to look forward to the future.

And the centre of this faith thing is that the God thing did actually come down and become human. He consecrated and endorsed our humanity.

Isaiah spoke a word of hope and joy that was out of place with the rest of the narrative. A word that wouldn’t wait until things improved.

God asks us not to count the rings of the dead wood of the past – but to look for small signs of growth, the green seedlings of the future.

We’re in Advent – and each Sunday has a reading from Isaiah. Isaiah is a visual prophet. He thinks in pictures. He uses his imagination.

For that that kingdom to be more visible, Christ has to be seen to be believed – and how he is seen is down to you and down to me

Remembrance Sunday – We remember Des Aspin, who had that undefinable something that caused him to stand out and above all those around him.

Jacob is one of the Bible’s anti-heroes. There aren’t too many redeeming features on display. Not many laudable characteristics to emulate.

Naaman goes down to the river – and his flesh is restored like the flesh of a young boy. It’s not just the leprosy that goes. He’s made new.

At some stage, God’s plans will intersect with our own sense of being and purpose. We need to listen and hear and respond. To say: “send me”.

But back from Renton to Moses and the original ‘Choose Life’ monologue from which this was all shamelessly, if maybe unwittingly, pinched.