Current Affairs

My friend Neil Robbie, vicar of Holy Trinity West Bromwich, has written an advent lament, called "Broken". He takes a long hard look at modern Britain, that is both informed and compassionate, and asks the question: "What has gone wrong?", but also "What is the way back?" and "How do we fix it?"

I thought his analysis of the issues was spot on, and that his poetry is profoundly moving. So, with Neil's permission, I reproduce it here:

Question: Who said this?

Christianity isn't a list of rules to follow or a strict theological code. It is primarily about a relationship with a God whose character means that he seeks a relationship with you. The Bible is full to the brim of accounts of God seeking a relationship with people who fail, and are then rescued from that failure by the God who loves them despite the fact that they hardly love him back.

The BBC News website headlined an article with this picture of some of the European political leaders today.

What's missing?

I feel prompted to post part of Psalm 2 this morning

¹ Why do the nations rage
and the peoples plot in vain?
² The kings of the earth set themselves,
and the rulers take counsel together,
against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying,
³ “Let us burst their bonds apart
and cast away their cords from us.”

Some of you are thinking "that's obvious!".

Just seen on the BBC News site:

Sorry, Jeremy - no matter how good a job any doctors do, it will remain at 100%.

I greatly enjoyed reading about Euan Murray's decision not to play for Scotland against Argentina this coming Sunday. You can read it in the Telegraph and in the Sydney Morning Herald.

Are they predicative, attributive, substantive, etc.? These questions matter, because an adjective placed in the wrong place can imply the wrong meaning.

Was this the correct headline?

What did those MPs think they were up to? Gamekeeper turned poacher?

A piece of news that would easily not go noticed, but I noticed it.

Seeing the company name makes me remember the Nairobi - Mombasa Road, with endless driveways off the road signed "KPC. Pumpstation number 26", or similar.

Anyway, a real tragedy when things like this happen. Let's pray for those affected.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-14879401

To quote the Beatles: "La, La, La, La... life goes on"

I thought I'd check if anything momentous has happened in the world? Anything I ought to celebrate, perhaps? Today's headlines are:

Meanwhile, in other stories: Grave robbers never found, Roman guard sacked for falling asleep on duty, Jesus seen alive, Death defeated, Harmony between God and people, There's hope for us all.

To quote John Stainer, himself (correctly) quoting Lamentations 3: "Is it nothing to you, all you that pass by?"

Happy Easter Everyone!