“God is faithful” … this bald statement begins verse 9 of the 1 Corinthians reading in Sunday’s lectionary. I have to be honest – it’s not always easy to believe, when the world’s gone cattywampus. But in the Isaiah reading and the Psalm, it seems this perceived absence of God for long periods is normal. And the promise in Isaiah is not that it’ll be ‘OK’, but that God will do an even greater thing than we were hoping for. It’s worth noting that in Isaiah this even greater thing is done by the servant Israel; and that in the gospel, Jesus calls disciples to help him. So yes, God is faithful, even though things seem bad. But the great things God is going to do need people – these deeds need us. There’s no point sitting on the sidelines moaning. And that makes sense, because the reason the planet is in this state is down to us, and setting things straight is an ethical issue, not a technical one. Sure, technology can help us sort out climate change, but most of it will come hirpling along far too late to make any difference. What we need, first and foremost is the will. And where there’s a will, there’s a way.
Walk report
Good walk yesterday via the Pennine Bridleway to Mossley. Nice path mostly, but some of it is like walking on railway ballast – a good walk for new boots, not worn soles. Patches of the land are still recovering from the catastrophic fires a couple of years ago. There was one place near Swineshaw where fragments of age-blackened stone wall were partly hidden by the pale grass, giving a kind of soft effect. I took a picture, but the effect didn’t really show on the picture. Moan of the week – the one-way system in Mossley means that the same bus stop services the same bus going in opposite directions. The informations on the stop only list the time and the bus number. So you turn up for a 353 to Stalybridge, and it turns out it’s a 353 to Uppermill.
Prayer
Living God, make your Spirit come down on us we pray.
Teach us to breathe
in time with your breathing.
Inspire us;
help us to understand and love
your creation.
In summer and winter, rain and sun,
help us to know
the breathing of our planet.
Help us to find the crucified Christ
in the hurt of the world.
Make us ready for the new thing
that you will do in all the nations,
and give us hope.