Round again

“As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.” Genesis 8.22

Sobering to think that by the end of today we could have (another) Prime Minister! Lest we slip further into cynicism about the state of politics and the quality of our politicians, let us admit that the turmoil runs much further. It is hard to think of an institution which is not malfunctioning: our churches are dwindling, education seems to have lost its way, we face a cost of living crisis, industrial policy doesn't exist, community spirit relentlessly gives way to social isolation. The litany of woe continues...

Competition may be healthy, whether on the sports pitch or in the animal kingdom. Yet we seem incapable of keeping our competitive instincts in check and the consequence is that rivalry becomes hostility, fuelled by greed and even hatred. It does not have to be this way. God has provided a beautiful and fertile planet to call home. In the life and teaching of Jesus, he has shown us how to live well. Jesus' offering up of his exemplary life as a sacrifice for sin offers us the opportunity for a fresh start; and his conquering of death opens the gates of heaven before us.

We have a choice: go with the flow, sink into despair, or build for the future? At his ascension Jesus promised to complete the process of (re)creation, by returning in order to judge the world and bring heaven to earth. In the meantime he left instructions to those who would believe in him and commit our lives to following him, that we should continue his mission in the power of the Holy Spirit, who is our constant companion. Moving in the rhythms of God's grace is both about respecting the cycle of creation and appreciating the trajectory of progress.