Seeker

Do you find it easy to 'let go'? Many of us cling to certain things or attitudes, even though in the wider perspective they are unimportant or even wrong. By 'wrong' I mean destructive rather than life-enhancing. I think I often don't realize what those things are for me until they are threatened or taken away.  During a recent retreat in Galilee I spent time alone in a shady place on the Mount of Beatitudes, the hill traditionally associated with Jesus' teaching in the Sermon on the Mount. As encouraged to do by the retreat leader I slowly read Jesus' sermon on the mount from Matthew 5 - 7 , thinking of it as not so much a set of rules as an invitation, a snapshot of the kingdom of heaven. Later that day our leader The Rt. Revd. John Pritchard invited our retreat group to think of the Beatitudes as "some kind of call to let go". This really resonated with me so before I forget them and because I need to meditate on these further, here is a...

"I am H-A-P-P-Y!  I am H-A-P-P-Y! I know I am, I'm sure I am, I'm H-A-P-P-Y!" These were the words of a dreadful ditty I was taught in Sunday School. I didn't think they were dreadful then. I remember enjoying singing it, perhaps because my childhood was generally happy. There were further verses which gave reasons to be happy, such as "because I know God loves me so". I realize now that at least one of the other children singing with me was unhappy most of the time. How insensitive and damaging to require children to claim to feel an emotion that not all could share. How much extra false guilt was piled up in young minds because of the message that you ought to be happy because...? I blame the BBC for bringing this song back into my mind today. They publicised the launch of a charity which is using the 'latest research' to tell people how to be happier. BBC Breakfast has lauched a 3-part challenge complete with downloadable workbook. I...

As a child I loved hanging upside down from trees, climbing frames, wall bars etc. I also enjoyed standing on my head or hands. You get to see life from a different perspective. Everything looks different upside down. I don't have a photo of me doing that and I'm certainly not going to start trying it again at my age. So here is an upside down photo of a place I know well when it's the right way up. This blog isn't really about upside-down photos but about upside-down values, which could turn out to be the right way up. Imagine a society where those who are despised, forgotten or neglected receive the greatest reward, or in Jesus' words are truly 'blessed'. It's the opposite of what usually happens. Based on Jesus' 'beatitudes' Matthew 5: 1 - 10  this video is worth taking a look at. Photo: my own, turned upside down