No, not the suburb of Stockport with one train a week to one of its stations, but the colour of my birthday jumper, which I wore gratefully this morning. It is similar to the colour of an old-time Metropolitan Railway locomotive. Red is also the colour of the poppies with which Janet has decorated our window. They are felt, so the black centres merge into the bright red outsides. It’s like a combination of fresh and congealed blood. Let us not forget the horror of war.
And what lesson do we draw from that? How do we avoid going there again? It’s all easier said than done, even with good will, which is sometimes absent anyway. There’s a lot of angry people in public life (as in all life), and that anger is not always channelled creatively.
In tomorrow’s lectionary, Joshua addresses the people at Shechem. Serving God is a serious business, it’s not to be undertaken lightly. It’s the same as serving in public life or any job, really: there’s no place for egotism. Obviously, this kind of seriousness is not incompatible with humour. Anyway…
God give us grace
to do what we can,
in whatever circumstances we find ourselves,
to serve you honestly.
When we, like Jesus did,
find ourselves in the wilderness of uncertainty,
show us the way to live for you.
And God bless America
with peace and reconciliation,
and all that is best
for all children of this planet.