Some thoughts for the 19th Sunday of Ordinary Time which offers a moment of deep reflection on divine glory and global peace.

This Sunday offers a moment of deep reflection on divine glory and global peace.

On Thursday, we marked the Transfiguration. N.T. Wright describes this as the moment Jesus becomes the new Temple. God’s shekinah/glory, filled with mercy, justice, and aroha settles entirely on him. Flanked by Moses (law) and Elijah (Prophets), Jesus fulfils the historic covenants and offers a vivid preview of creation flooded and renewed with God’s redeeming presence.

In stark contrast, Thursday was also Hiroshima Day, making this Peace Sunday. We remember all the victims of the atomic bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. We also acknowledge our Pacific neighbours impacted by decades of unwanted nuclear testing. Today, we hold in our hearts a deep sadness for people still facing violence and war worldwide, especially in Ukraine and the Middle East. We are encouraged to live the Transfiguration hope, joining with others longing for the peace that passes understanding, that turns swords into ploughshares, that comes wrapped with justice. On Tuesday we remember Clare of Assisi who like her mentor Francis lived God’s peace inviting us to follow Jesus in their footsteps.

In light of this Matthew 14:22-33 speaks directly to our modern storms and anxieties including climate change, the cost-of-living crisis, or declining church attendance. We do not face these storms alone. In the midst of the raging waves, Jesus calls out: “Be encouraged. It is I. Do not be afraid.” The call from last week’s feeding of many more than five thousand still stands: we must act out of a deep gut-level compassion. Jesus remains present whether we stay safe in the boat or step out onto the water with Peter. May God give us the wisdom and compassion to take that next faithful step.

 

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Norway - Day One

Image
  After that long break I've decided to finish reflecting on my sabbatical in 2023. In part I have to do all the photos anyway, and in part it is a thing of joy to look at those photos and to try to remember what we did over those three or more weeks. We left St Georges with a number of other pilgrims in a sherut organized by the College. I was already feeling the effects of our food stall meal the night before, Bonnie started at the airport. It meant we were careful about what we ate and kept an eye for toilets.  We flew through Warsaw on Polish Airlines, a Star Alliance member. That meant we had access to lounges, and I would earn enough points to keep gold status for another year.  It was a long day travailing and we were pleased to arrive in Oslo to be met by our friend and host, Kenneth. Kenneth was an exchange student who came to stay with us after his first hosts proved to be  very inappropriate. It was so good to see him again and to see him in his house. He ...
Read more

Norway Day Five- Norway in a Nutshell

Image
Day 5 was full of sights and adventures. We wheeled our bags back through Bergen to the car park where Kenneth’s father’s car was parked, and then headed off to the train station. Here we caught a The BergenRailway which runs from Bergen to Oslo. We met some lovely people heading out into the country who were very helpful. It is in itself a wonderfully scenic line. But even more awaited us. At Myrdal we disembarked and awaited our next rain and the beginning of Norway in a Nutshell. At Myrdal we waited for our next train - The Flåm Railway, or the Flåmsbana in Norwegian. It is often named one of the world's most beautiful train journeys and is also one of the world's steepest railway journeys. Our journey down to Flåm was in the original carriages – with a very modern eco-friendly engine. Our journey took us through tunnels, and views looking back on the track below, and of mountains, waterfalls and quaint farms and villages. We stopped at the impressive Kjosfossen falls ...
Read more

Get those PSA Blood Tests Done Boys!

I had a strange conversation a few months ago. I was lying back in a chair, naked from the waste down, holding a nappy over my bits while I waited for the skin under my bits to go numb enough from liquid nitrogen or some such thing, so that they could inject the local anesthetic and then punch a couple of holes through to the prostate. All in all a fun experience. And while I waited the nurse made small talk and asked what I did. "I'm retired", I replied. "Oh, what are you planning to do now you are retired? any travel?" "Turns out not" I said, "It seems I'm just keeping my dairy open for dealing with health things." And I am still keeping my dairy open and still dealing with them. This journey began last year. I was already dealing with two other things, including a lump in my parotid gland which has been slowly growing there for about 3 years. When I got back from being overseas on sabbatical my doctor called me in to talk about that an...
Read more