Month: April 2019

A bit of getting the laundry up to date this morning. On the first attempt, I put the tablet in the tray labelled ‘wash’, but when I looked at the end of the wash, the tablet had not been consumed… So, a second attempt with the tablet crumbled inside the drum. I’ll get the hang of this lark one day, I’m sure.

It’s quiet here. There’s a TV in the place, and a minute sitting in front of the news suggests the world is far from quiet, and not in a good way. Of course the news is selective: we find disaster more interesting. I thank God for all the people who just do good stuff, unsung.

Janet came here to our staying place on the way through, for lunch and a rest. It was a brilliant day, the only problem being the unexpected non-availability of pasties on a Wednesday. Janet seems really excited by making progress on foot, and I’m really pleased about that.

I’m sitting in the car, parked by a back road, next to a row of magnolias. I’m waiting for Janet to come around the corner.

It’s exciting. I have worked out when I expect her to pass. I know where she was the last time I heard from her. I have an idea of her speed, and decide when I expect to see her. As the moment approaches, the expectation builds. It’s a bit like waiting for the tour de France, except at 2mph rather than 30. And there’s no advertising procession beforehand. But there’s the same growing anticipation.

Sometimes I walk out to meet her. I strain my eyes for a glimpse of red cagoule in the distance beyond the trees or shops or traffic. Sometimes I’ve just caught sight of a pillar box and experienced a moment of misguided joy (we’ve all had those, haven’t we, brothers and sisters).

Waiting for Janet. When’s she coming through? She’ll be coming at walking pace, a humble mode of transport. Multiply this by thousands of bystanders in Jerusalem, and you’ve got the anticipation before Jesus rides in, maybe rather more like the Tour de France than me waiting for Janet. But the crowd changed their minds. Or maybe it’s just that other voices shouted louder later on. The people have spoken. Sometimes they speak with love and sometimes with hate.

Today is a long day for Janet: extra time and extra distance on the day because of a visit to the Eden Project. I think it must have been worth it, though. Its a treasure trove of gardens and flowers and art and adventures and economics and ecology. It is world class.

God you have given us
a wonderful, diverse, productive planet. 
Give us grace to care for this planet, 
so many generations can enjoy
all the earth offers.

I’m sitting in the car, parked by a back road, next p her speed, and decide when I expect to see her. As the moment approaches, the expectation builds. It’s a bit like waiting for the tour de France, except at 2mph rather than 30. And there’s no advertising procession beforehand. But there’s the same growing anticipation.Sometimes I walk out to meet her. I strain my eyes for a glimpse of red cagoule in the distance beyond the trees or shops or traffic. Sometimes I’ve just caught sight of a pillar box and experienced a moment of misguided joy (we’ve all had those, haven’t we, brothers and sisters).Waiting for Janet. When’s she coming through? She’ll be coming at walking pace, a humble mode of transport. Multiply this by thousands of bystanders in Jerusalem, and you’ve got the anticipation before Jesus rides in, maybe rather more like the Tour de France than me waiting for Janet. But the crowd changed their minds. Or maybe it’s just that other voices shouted louder later on. The people have spoken. Sometimes they speak with love and sometimes with hate.Today is a long day for Janet: extra time and extra distance on the day because of a visit to the Eden Project. I think it must have been worth it, though. Its a treasure trove of gardens and flowers and art and adventures and economics and ecology. It is world class.

Excellent walking from Janet. She has now been going three days, and the distances are a little greater than planned — a consequence of short diversions to see stuff, minor route alterations on the fly and a couple of percent for GPS inaccuracies. Nevertheless she keeps on going brilliantly, despite the largely unpleasant weather — though when the sun comes out, the landscape sparkles. Hats off to Janet!

Radio 4 Spoonergeddon
It’s strange what routes your train of thought takes when you lie awake at night. I wonder if I’m still remembering OK. Would I be able to remember the names of the main cabinet ministers if asked? Probably not. I note that Jeremy Hunt hasn’t been given a portfolio beginning with C since he was Culture secretary — although how many Cabinet posts are there beginning with a letter whose Scrabble value is 3?
Also, how do you spell Armageddon? Someone once said it’s named after Megiddo, so one G and two Ds maybe. Some people in America look forward to an apocalyptic battle. I remember some uncomfortable parts of the Bible. Matthew 10:34, for instance. The writer tells us Jesus said, “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.” You’d have to look at the context to understand it, but my default understanding is that this is a prediction rather than a manifesto. But is it really?
I also note that the same people say different things depending on what mood they’re in or what the circumstances are (even maybe the people of Britain). Could at least part of this apply to Jesus – look at Luke 10 … “35 He said to them, ‘When I sent you out without a purse, bag, or sandals, did you lack anything?’ They said, ‘No, not a thing.’ 36He said to them, ‘But now, the one who has a purse must take it, and likewise a bag. And the one who has no sword must sell his cloak and buy one. 37For I tell you, this scripture must be fulfilled in me, “And he was counted among the lawless”; and indeed what is written about me is being fulfilled.’ 38They said, ‘Lord, look, here are two swords.’ He replied, ‘It is enough.’”
These hard things, because they are difficult to fit with my overall preconceptions may, if anything, be more likely to be genuine, because whay else would the writer include them?
It’s Lent, and a time to remember the passion of a man acquainted with the dark side of humanity. And Sunday’s readings include the story in John’s Gospel which is close to passion as in ‘my night of passion with the bishop.’

Janet starts her walk tomorrow. Each person who does the long walk does it in their own way, and tomorrow it starts.

Over the weekend it was great to see my sister and her family on the way across the SW peninsula. They were very hospitable and generous.

Today we had a couple of small walks and saw some good stuff, like this rock….

From Sunday coming, “Passion Sunday”, Isaiah…
“43:16 Thus says the LORD, who makes a way in the sea, a path in the mighty waters, …43:19 I am about to do a new thing…”

In our exploring, and in our discovering…