I love that delicious moment when we find ourselves at the edge of a passing storm… the sun peeks through, and a rainbow ignites. Arching across the skies, those gorgeous colours offer us hope.
Life will always have storms. But the Lord God gives us rainbows. Do we fear the storm- or celebrate the rainbow?
One encouraging phrase sometimes used during tough times is “This too shall pass.” It’s true enough- I have a 100% record of surviving bad times (so far). But that is small comfort when we have to face the harsh realities of sickness or grief, when we -or those we love- seem caught up in a tornado of trial or terror.
Jesus offered something more reliable: in Matthew 24:35 (NLT) he says:- “Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.”
That promise shines like a rainbow against the darkening sky. A technicolour guarantee! Jesus speaks- and gives Life.
Later, in 1 Cor 13 v13, Paul commented that it all boils down to this:
“Faith, Hope, and Love shall remain- and the greatest of these is Love.”
This striking thistle-like plant is Eryngium “Big Blue”, commonly known as Sea Holly.
Tall and spiky, it contrasts well with more typical “flowery” flowers. Round the head are myriad tiny flowers, popular with bees, then a crown of blue bracts. The stems range from green to strong purple and the plant stands strong long after the pollinators have finished their busy labouring.
Gardens benefit from variety of species: it gives ongoing interest, successions of colour, and a series of amazing shapes- the garden becomes architectural.
Would you choose Sea Holly over a fragrant rose? Or exclude the fruit bushes? Maybe not: but in the right place, eryngium will perform valuable service. And it is an intriguing form. They can all belong.
Gardens make quite a good example of effective churches. Some are full of one main crop. Others go showy, bright colours and “perfect” specimens. Cottage gardens have a bit of everything! Veg, herbs, fruit and flowers mixed in glorious chaos… well, apparent chaos. Proper chaos has to be planned, you know!
St Paul, in 1 Corinthians 12:17, says something profound: “If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything?”
Plant, garden, body, church… they all benefit from a full range of “parts” each with a different appearance and function. Such diversity is to be welcomed and celebrated. It may mean that we don’t end up in churches where everyone is just like me (or you). That might seem desirable or sensible, but it is very limiting.
Colossians 1:20 reminds us that “through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.”
The Church is to be the agency of reconciliation; and a shining example of grace enabling variety, diversity, and love.
You may be a rose, a gooseberry bush, or a piece of Sea Holly. Be what you are, JOYFULLY, and together we will all come closer to Christ. Growing together is fun!
A very British treat… a stroll along the pier. You can’t hide a pier! It sticks out very obviously.
What shall I do at this pier? Perhaps an ice cream, and then sit relaxing as the sea performs its gentle mesmerising dance. Afterward, at low tide, a walk on the sands- and a revelation. Underneath is very different- and not “pretty” even though there are strong patterns.
Girders, support pillars, tension bars. Strong enough to see off a hundred winters, countless storms, and (mostly) the lack of maintenance. Such a harsh and unforgiving environment- and such a careful design by the engineers. Our pier may look a bit scruffy, but it’s surviving and giving pleasure to many visitors. Still.
Now, let’s consider the structure that makes a strong character- more specifically, that supports an enduring Christian character.
Our foundation must be Jesus Himself. Eternal truth and love who took humanity upon himself, and displays God to the world. To spend time BY CHOICE in His Presence is key.
What practical pillars does a mature Christian life depend on? Honest trusting faith, submission and obedience, plus a growing Bible knowledge and understanding. Being an active part of a community learning and loving together is essential. All these things are strong supports.
Then there is humility, selfless love, a willingness to forgive and be forgiven. Praise and prayer, spirituality with integrity, developing self-discipline, the attitude of gratitude, and more- all these add up to a life that becomes worship.
When we look at a Christian we respect and admire, we may at first only see the “public face.” However, unless there is strength and resilience beyond the public image, their faith may be hollow… Look more deeply.
One of the greatest gifts a mature Christian can “give away” is to honestly reveal their inner soul, and the practices that support the whole person. I have been privileged to have had some great role models who have been open (even about their struggles). After all, no-one scores 100% all the time!
St Paul was brave enough to tell others to “imitate me as I imitate Christ” (1 Cor 11 v1).
Jesus put it even more simply: he said “Follow me.”
Twelve disciples spent three years sharing life with Christ. Eleven gradually built strong and faithful character. One betrayed Jesus.
How am I going to build my living faith today? That’s always a really good question. How would you answer it?
This jigsaw was completed by a team of dedicated puzzlers at our drop-in cafe recently. After false starts, mistakes, and lots of co-operation, the job was done. Oh, the satisfaction of fitting the last few pieces in the right places!
Honesty compels me to say that not every word spoken over that puzzle was positive during the assembly process.
Making sense of life has similarities! The Bible gives an overview of what we should be like- and why we exist at all- but doesn’t always give precise indications of the next step.
So many things to fit in. So many bits looking the same- nearly.
I was looking at the prophecy of Ezekiel tonight- and struggling with it. There are sections that are far from easy to comprehend. (Even the straightforward bits are quite difficult.) Chapters 40-42 are a detailed description of the Temple. And I mean detailed. Then in chapter 43 comes a statement: “Then the spirit took me up and brought me into the inner courtyard, and the glory of the LORD filled the Temple.”
The design, the puzzle, is complete. Does that mean Ezekiel is now easy to understand? I wish!
“Then the Spirit took me up…” is a recurring theme through the prophecy. Perhaps this statement is key? Like finding all the edge pieces of a jigsaw. That’s something to work with, anyway.
I don’t think I could ever write a commentary on Ezekiel… that’s a job for wiser and better scholars. But I’ve found a grain of sense that applies to working out my faith in practice. My life is a sequence of plans & events, and the key is the Spirit “taking me up” and putting me in the place where God IS- the inner courtyard, the Holy of Holies- for THEN the glory of the Lord enters in.
Christians are described as the Temple of God- “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” (1 Cor 3 v16).
May the Lord take us up, place us in His Presence, dwell in us, and glorify Christ in and through us. May He complete the work begun in us- and then the jigsaw we are living will finally be perfect.
Um. Er, God, um… I’m having a little bit of trouble. With some Christians.
I read this piece from the New Testament, you see, where Paul tells them off about the way that church behaved and worshipped. It isn’t that I disagree with Paul, but… Love and all that – well, there are a couple of people I’m finding hard to love. Not even sure I like one of them!
Why? Well, they are wrong about….. Sorry, did You interrupt me? Oh. I interrupted… What were You saying? “I’m wrong about some stuff?” Never! I went to college and everything. What about what?
No, I don’t really want to talk about THAT. I’m embarrassed enough without You saying stuff. Can we change the subject, please? “You still love me, even though…” Well, of course You do. It’s Your job. Can we get back to the point, please. Sorry? “It’s not MY place to tell You your job!” Alright, alright. Point taken. I’m sorry.
As I was saying, these two bozos… er, sorry, gentlemen, they’re obviously wrong or deluded- or perhaps they’ve gone to the Dark Side… “Another clanger, Richard!” Oh, slip of the tongue, that isn’t in the New Testament. You know what I meant. Anyone can make a mistake! “Exactly.”
“You want me to go back and read it again?” Why?“I seem to have missed the point… ???”
But I was talking about them, you know, not very lovable… annoying, even. Daft as a brush!
“If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal… If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out… Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance…“
Oh. Well, when You say it like that… But… “Deal with your own faults before criticising them.”
I don’t want to. Surely I’m better than… Sorry? What? “Not the way Jesus sees me? Love doesn’t play favourites like that…” I need to listen some more? “Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever!  Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture! But when full understanding comes, these partial things will become useless. When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. Now we see things imperfectly as in a cloudy mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.“
So does that mean… “Definitely YES. I can’t go round behaving like an arrogant…” – Well, I didn’t mean to be. But aren’t they wrong? Oh dear- “You’ll tell them at the right time IF they’re wrong: just like You tell me when I behave badly…”
I guess I was having more trouble than I realised. Father God, can you help me to love better? To be patient and kind, and forgiving, and less of a …….. I think I’m just going to leave that there, God. Thanks for Your help. I think. Yeah, I suppose You’re right. Love. That’s You all over. Um, yes, this has been awkward- no, I’ve been awkward. And a bit wrong. It’s all about Love. Goodnight, Father.
“You can do better- when you let Me help… Love really matters.”
Watching wild birds can be fascinating. Their behaviour is a good teacher. The heron was slowly and patiently stalking its lunch. Stillness. Endless patience. Eventually, success.
Then I realised that was exactly the same process for the photographer. Waiting quietly, patiently, then seizing the moment. What I didn’t realise then was the presence of a black-tailed Godwit hunting within the frame of my photo. (So much for careful scanning of the scene and precise composition!)
Patience brings its own rewards.
We learn patience by having it tested- people, events, problems, little aggravations. I was thinking about a situation this week that made me realise I was becoming grumpy.
Then I thought… I wonder if that is how God feels about me? He puts up with my annoying faults and my regular “fail” moments.
Without condoning my errors, God still loves me (and you). In the New Testament, the classic definition of LOVE is written in 1 Corinthians 13:4-5 (NIV).
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.”
Now that’s the kind of patience that GIVES great rewards.
“Lord, help me to become patient… and do it quickly!”
A better prayer is this: “Lord, teach me to love as You love. And please be patient when I am slow to love patiently, kindly, and humbly.”
Water makes reflections that make beautiful photographs. I was idly sipping tea and photographing the birds feeding their youngsters. Here’s a blue tit and fledgling. Cute!
As well as food, the birds appreciate clean water. So there is a bird bath with a shallow dish for bathing and drinking. The bird bath has the famous quote about being “nearer to God in a garden.” (Often true!)
A flash of bright green in the corner of my eye- I looked round to see that the breeze was fluttering leaves so they reflected from the water. Brilliant sunlight shone through the leaves, so the reflection glowed with vivid colour.
There is an interesting thing about trying to photograph reflections. Light waves distort the image. You can either focus on the stone OR try to focus on the “apparent” image of the leaf. These two are at different effective focal lengths. (Go and try it for yourself!) It is most noticeable when the reflected object is at close range.
End result- an “impression” of what the leaf looks like with a sharply focused stone bath; or a sharp focused leaf in a blurry out-of-focus birdbath. (You can get the same effect taking pictures of reflections in puddles- try it if you don’t believe me.)
On a bigger scale the effect isn’t as noticeable. Large scale reflections in landscapes benefit from the longer focal distances and the compression factors of lens apertures and depth-of-field. Sorry for the physics. Enjoy the picture below: early morning in Norway…
Norwegian Fjord near Olden
A similar effect is causing me some bother with new glasses. Variofocals are brilliant when they work well, but my new pair have to be completely re-made. I can’t read with them! There is no focal point that meets for both eyes at the same time. So they are being done again with changes to the gradation between near vision and long vision. I hope the second attempt will be better than the first attempt.
How do we “focus” on God? Paul talked about “seeing as in a poor mirror” but one day being able to see and be seen clearly (1 Corinthians 13 v12). So many things distort our understanding and vision of God. We form impressions, we see some things, we can interpret other things to help- but perfect vision eludes. The Bible helps us to get the “big picture” – and sharing our faith, questions, and doubts with others is helpful.
Our clearest knowledge comes as we get to know Jesus better. An ancient prayer by St Richard of Chichester (who died in 1253) puts it beautifully. Pray it today if you wish:
Thanks be to you, our Lord Jesus Christ, for all the benefits which you have given us, for all the pains and insults which you have borne for us. Most merciful Redeemer, Friend and Brother, may we know you more clearly, love you more dearly, and follow you more nearly, day by day. Amen.
As well as food, the birds appreciate clean water. So there is a bird bath with a shallow dish for bathing and drinking. The bird bath has the famous quote about being “nearer to God in a garden.” (Often true!) 
Look, See, Pray 