To end, to reflect, to move on.

Well I have now come to the end of my time on sabbatical and will return to pastoral duties on Monday. During this time I have averaged reading a book a week as well as dipping into a few other tomes along the way.  Generally I am not a very fast reader, but reading almost everyday with a purpose seems to have helped me speed up a bit. I am still paying my " Homage to Catalonia" partly because I have been slightly sidetracked into reading at the same time  "The Long Walk to Freedom"  by Nelson Mandela after hearing him quoted in a sermon recently.

Reading both Orwell's fiction and non fiction I was struck by how relevant a lot of what he wrote still is, both in regard to relationships and politics. The poor and homeless he describes may not be around today, but there are still the poor and homeless. The totalitarian states he identified may be long gone, but there are still parts of the world where people are oppressed by the state. And of course there will probably always be plenty of overweight, middle-aged men around, hankering after days done by.

There is still lots more on Niebuhr that I want to read so that I can delve deeper into what he was saying and how it is still relevant to my faith and society today. The thinking of Niebuhr lead to an approach called "Christian Realism". This seems to steer a course between the over optimistic view of the world that believes  humans will keep getting better and one day solve every problem, and a pessimistic view that says we are all going to hell in a handcart and all we can do is wait for the final judgement when God will sort it all out.

What I have found really helpful is Niebuhr's unpacking of human sinfulness.  As I have understood it, and very simply put, humans need to acknowledge sinfulness not just in the bad done but also in relation to motives for doing good. When humanity recognises what Niebuhr identifies as the sin of pride then relationships between people and with God might just become more meaningful and honest.  Also when it comes to groups or nations there can be a tendency to seek to justify actions that are known not always to be good for some people but serve a particular cause.

The great hope I hear in Niebuhr is that in the end God will bring to fullness all things in the Kingdom of Heaven. Realism tells us that because this is beyond time and because all humanity is finite, we will not see it in our earthly life.  However that does not mean that we do nothing until the " Day of The Lord". This hope is the goal we always have before us as we work to bring love and justice to a fallen world.

I need to do lots more thinking and reflecting on all of this to make sure I have not got hold of the wrong end of the proverbial stick, but in our present times I think Niebuhr might have something to contribute.

So this will be the last of this type of blog. If you have followed the posts over the last weeks thank you, I hope they have been of some interest.

At the moment because of the on going coronavirus situation I am not too sure about what lays ahead. However I intend to post a brief video Monday, Wednesday and Friday sharing  some morning meditation /prayers. I will see how that goes for a start off and in the spirit of Niebuhr make changes if needed.

Orwell                               Niebuhr                            Extras

Loving God

We thank you for times when we can learn.

Learn about You,

Learn about each other,

Learn new skills.

We  thank you for the gifts you have given to us.

Gifts that are so varied.

Gifts we see in others.

Gifts other used to enrich our lives.

We pray for those who are prevented  

from learning or using their gifts.

We pray for a world where justice and love

overcome evil and hate.

We pray for all in need this day 

because of the coronavirus situation;

those worried about money or employment;

those recovering from illness due to the virus;

those who are lonely or fearful.

Gracious God may you love and comfort 

surround and up hold them;

and may you show us all

how to serve each other.

This we ask in the name of Jesus Christ;

Our Lord and our Saviour.

Amen