Like the grass

“All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall..." 1 Peter 1. 24

As the sun defies expectation and shines on the northwest highlands and islands, the grass remains green and the flowers are in full bloom - for the time being. But, if the dearth of rain continues, these might go the way of some senior politicians. The public humiliation of the former Prime Minister and First Minister reveals how fickle are the power and popularity of even the most prominent political egos.

Perhaps it is symptomatic of a celebrity culture, which insists that those in the public eye must be at least as interested in their own profile as in the reason for their being there. On the other hand, respecting that both of the aforementioned insist on their innocence, perhaps what is being revealed is the litigious nature of our times, in which everyone who sticks their head above the parapet is fair game for whistle-blowers and conspiracy theorists?

In his first letter, the apostle Peter continues by contrasting the ephemerality of life with the enduring quality of God's word. That word finds expression in the Bible and in Jesus, both of which are referred to as the Word of God: the written word and the living word. Jesus was no stranger to controversy, false-accusation and ridicule, yet his following has grown exponentially rather than waned, on account of its integrity with the Bible.

So we are presented with a choice: to build our lives around personal advancement or upon the rock of faith?