Colourful Dreamer

Last week we celebrated All Saints and All Souls, remembering and giving thanks for those who   have died, especially over the last year. On Thursday I will join some others at the RSA to remember the ending of WW1 and to acknowledge the enormous cost to this land. We too often forget that this was also the start of the Spanish Flu which killed tens of millions around the world, in part spread by returning troops from Europe. It was a time of grief, fear, anger, and loss. The world had changed forever and there was no going back. Remembering our dead involves acknowledging how hard it was for them and us. These last months have been hard. Our world has changed. Covid is here to stay. So, we are invited to acknowledge our own grief, fear, anger, and loss. And we are gifted the Book of Ruth which Bonnie helped us into last week. Ruth is a book of protest. Like Job, a protest against the idea God blesses the righteous with wealth and sons. Naomi felt wronged. A protest against the r...

Today we stop to remember the end of WWI – a war that significant social, political and economic consequences toppled empires and gave birth to nation states unheard of. In its ending it sowed the seeds for future wars and conflicts that can still be seen today in the Middle East. We particularly remember the terrible human cost of this war, especially on the young nation of New Zealand. Jubilate Hymns have run a contest for a hymn for this week. Here are two verses from the winning entry by Ally Barrett (https://jubilate.co.uk/songs) Hope for the world's despair: we feel the nations' pain; can anything repair this broken earth again? For this we pray: in every place a spark of grace to light the way. Love for the human heart: when hate grows from our fears and inwardly we start to turn our ploughs to spears. Help us to sow love’s precious seed in word and deed, that peace may grow. I have blogged about ANZAC Day before mostly around the myth that this wa...