tell me the story

I want to echo the words of this song over the next few days.

'Sit with me and tell me once again
Of the story that's been told us
Of the power that will hold us
Of the beauty, of the beauty
Why it matters...'

(sara groves)

advent whispers

On this crisp winter’s morning
Waiting for a train.
Gazing in the direction of its coming -
Anticipating.
An announcement over the tannoy,
A promise of imminent arrival.
Train stopping – for me...
Stepping in, finding a resting place.
Waiting again –
But now with a destination.
A new perspective through train windows
In an ever-changing, fast-moving panorama.
A fresh sense of wonder at the beauty
As sunlight breaks through grey over Belfast.
Stopping only to bring others along on this journey...

I heard whispers of advent this morning.

Gilead

I just finished a book tonight called Gilead. I was one of those books I didn't really want to finish because I've been meandering through it a few pages at time over the last few weeks and I just wanted to drag it out a bit longer. I loved it. It's a book about beauty, grace, memories, family, love... mixed in with thoughts on age, death, regret, heartache, loneliness... It's written as a letter from a old pastor to his young son as he approaches the end of his life.

Here's a couple quotes I read tonight... (it's not all this intense!)

"There is no justice in love, no proportion in it, and there need not be, because in any specific instance it is only a glimpse or parable of an embracing, incomprensible reality. It makes no sense at all because it is the eternal breaking in on the temporal. So how could it be subordinate itself to cause or consequence?"

"There are two occasions when the sacred beauty of Creation becomes dazzlingly apparant, and they occur together. One is when we feel our mortal insufficiency to the world, and the other is when we feel the world's mortal insufficiency to us. Augustine says the Lord loves each of us as an only child, and that has to be true. 'He will wipe the tears from all faces." It takes nothing from the loveliness of the verse to say that is exactly what will be required..."

"Theologians talk about a prevenient grace that precedes grace itself and allows us to accept it. It think there must also be a prevenient courage that allows us to be brave - that is, to acknowledge that there is more beauty than our eyes can bear, that precious things have been put into our hands and to do nothing to honor them is to do great harm. And therefore, this courage allows us...to make ourselves useful."

Anyway, read it if you get the chance. It's was the perfect book for a night like mine - a quiet night in a cosy room with christmas lights. It made me laugh, cry, think and hope. The best combinations.

belfast city

I'm feeling hopeful tonight...



My church has a new pastor and he wanted this song played for his induction service tonight. My God is the God of this city that I've come to love... this song just resonated with new beginnings as a church and also with advent - to be able to look forward with expectation...

knowledge?

I read an article today trying to fight the voice in my head that’s telling me systematic reviews that have conflicting conclusions are completely pointless and discovered this random quote to ponder on a chilly winter’s evening:
“When you know a thing, to hold that you know it, and when you do not know a thing, to allow that you do not know it – this is knowledge.” –Confucius

Just thought I’d share :) I'm sure you're glad I did...

my hometown needs healing

I can't get my mind off my hometown of Jos, Nigeria. It's deja vu for this town - political/tribal/religious riots again have cost the lives of hundreds. I keep having flashbacks to September 7, 2001 when riots broke out in my senior year of high school (and 1000+ were killed). The gunshots, the army tanks firing, the smoke across the city, the not knowing what was happening over the wall or across town, the curfews, the burnt cars and buildings etc. It says on the news today that the hospitals are struggling to cope so I'm picturing the hospital in Jos where I've been over the last few summers - full of people needing medical attention... My mum is there today trying to help now that things are quieting down.

Why again? Why does life seems so cheap? Why does the world barely seem to notice?
I'm feeling helpless and far away. The daily routine somehow seems a little meaningless compared to the reality of people in Jos who have lost loved ones, homes and livelihoods etc.

On this first day of advent and on world AIDS day... my dad wrote from Jos in a quick email this morning - "Jesus is risen with healing in his wings..."