Confused

Term starts for real tomorrow and I find myself surprisingly unready. After today's INSET I decided that the word of the day was 'confused', and began to feel a little stressed, especially when time seemed to run down rather too swiftly. It is good then to know that someone else is in charge. That came home at the new parents' tea, where first I met a man who expressed revulsion for 'religion' and yet really wanted to talk, and I felt a need to somehow find time for him and then I met an old friend from 30 odd years ago. Remarkable in itself, but her son is in Oliver's tutor group and her husband is yet another link in a long and very exciting chain. More of that another time, but please pray for it all.

Why not

'I often wonder if religion is the enemy of God' Bono (as quoted by John Pritchard). I was forcefully presented with this view at a party last night. I did wonder if it was a genuine objection or a form of avoidance strategy, but felt it deserved an answer. I did not have long to come up with one, of course, but mine was this. At first to sympathise, by telling the story of a student who asked if I was religious as my answer before I had time to think was 'I hope not'. But then to point to Jesus, who seemed to be anything but religious, who when presented with a religious building did not offer sacrifices but instead chucked all the tables on the floor. As an aside I noted that people found endless reasons to fight so why not religion as well. This had it's weaknesses as an answer of course. I am in many ways clearly 'religious' though I'm still not sure what that means. But I hope it was part of a next step for him, not so much by removing the ease with which he could raise this objection but more by pointing to Jesus who overcomes all objections. I left him with a challenge to read Mark's Gospel, and see what he made of the real thing. Pray for him.

Oh Dear

An extraordinarily difficult few days. The approaching term, with all its challenges, seemed to set everyone on edge. Going away added to the pressure rather than reducing it, as I had anticipated, so that 'brother was set against brother'. A lesson there, I think. For me work has started. I find it hard to think straight now for about a week. It is a true 'career', pell mell (Pall Mall) as my Granny used to say, with the brakes apparently off as everything hits at once. It is easy to make poor choices, to run for cover in dark places, if I am not careful. A dangerous time, spiritually, where eyes need to be set firmly on the 'prize set before'. I won't miss this part a bit.