Colourful Dreamer

In our church calendar today is Refugee Sunday, and Anglican version of World Refugee Day. This was first celebrated on 20 June, 2001 by the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) to recognise the contributions of forcibly displaced people throughout the world. The issue of Refugees seems to have lessened for us in New Zealand. We are currently unable to take any refugees as our borders remain shut. But the need around the world continues to grow. Ahead of World Refugee Day on 20 June, the United Nations announced a staggering 79.5 million or one in 97 people displaced, up from 70.8 million the year before. The UN recorded 29.6 million refugees in its 2019 figures.  Five countries account for two-thirds of people who have crossed borders to escape violence and persecution: Syria, Venezuela, Afghanistan, South Sudan and Myanmar.   “With no resolution in sight, these conflict zones are likely to push more people from their homes, increasing levels of trauma and suffering...

I am not preaching this Sunday. So I have not written a them and will not be offering a sermon here. But I forgot this, and did the normal reading I might do if I was preaching. So here are some thoughts that come out of this weeks readings - Deut 30:15-20, 1 Cor 3:1-9, Matt 5:21-37.                This week one of our readings is Deuteronomy 30 where we are told to choose life. It sounds like a “pro-life” slogan. Chose life – oppose abortion. For a long time I would have described myself as “prolife”. I long to live in a world where adoption is a well-resourced and viable option for those who are pregnant and for a whole raft of reasons do not want to or cannot look after that child. But for too many that is not offered as an option. It is either have the child or abort. I do believe that abortion is offered too easily, without the resources offered for the grief and other long term affects that come wi...