The 4th

This is an extract from today's daily meditation from Richard Rohr:

James Finley learned from [Thomas] Merton while living at the Abbey of Gethsemani from 1961-1967. He reflects that Merton believed the world could not survive if religion remained at the clannish level. This false competition doesn’t serve anyone. On the other hand, openness to other traditions can and should deepen our commitment to our own faith and practice. This is one of the primary fruits of obeying Jesus’ simple command to “love our neighbor.” I presume loving others means listening to them and respecting them as brothers and sisters.

The only way we can learn is through an open mind and listening to others. It's fascinating that so many other faiths and traditions have winter festivals- what similarities are there? What's different? I love hearing not only about other people's Christmas traditions but the traditions of other faiths and cultures.
There should always be time for looking outwards at Christmas, assessing the bigger picture, connecting with people, thinking outside of our smaller communities to the bigger things we're a part of. I'm lucky that Manchester is such a diverse city, it's an amazing place to experience. I also work in an incredibly diverse environment with people from all over the world.

Today I felt joyful talking to an old friend, am thankful for my children's health and felt helpless not being able to give my patients the answers they want.

Scripture
I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.’
Psalm 40:8

Love One Another

As Christian says to Satine in Moulin. Rouge "Love is a many splendored thing,
Love lifts us up where we belong, all you need is love". Not exactly an up to date reference but that song keeps playing on the communal work ipod, so is very much in my head.
We hear so much about love, mostly in terms of romantic love or familial love, that we often forget how multi-faceted it is. Another quote, from one my favourite bands - James - is "love can mean anything". We're so used in our culture to the word meaning gushy feelings of warmth and loveliness that we forget that love is more of an action than a feeling.
You only truly experience love in loving actions. You may not be feeling particularly warm or lovely towards your fellow man, church family or colleagues but if you act lovingly you are carrying out Jesus' new commandment to love one another. Hopefully warm feelings will follow.

Love One Another

Today's task has resulted in my husband and mum getting daffodils. They hold special significance for my husband as his mum loved them so much.
Twice today I preached my Maundy Thursday sermon which ended with the notion that we should begin to understand Jesus by loving one another. I'll post the full text of my sermon in the morning (it's on the laptop and I'm tucked up in bed!)
As with the last few days before Christmas I'm not always very receptive to the needs of my family during the end of Holy Week, and there's been so much to do this year that I think I've been pretty grumpy. My husband told me I was fruity earlier- then added that sadly the fruit was a crab apple. He has a point.