From Barbara’s desk 15-04-2020

Good morning Faith Pals,

I hope that you all had a lovely Easter, and are well.  I know it has been a very different Easter, but it will be one we will remember!  Next year I am sure you will be worshiping together in the Leighmoor church, with a new full time minister, and you will reminisce about last year’s lock down, over Hot Cross buns in the church hall.

During this week, I invite you to consider the early disciples.  They were behind closed/shut doors, fearful of the authorities. We are in similar circumstances.  Not fearful of the authorities, but having to be cautious because of the pandemic (invisible so perhaps more fearful?)

We can therefore live in the shoes of the early disciples this week. We are more comfortable-hot running water, a fridge, a heater, (I will add cats and a dog), tv, computers, phones etc.

There is a risk that we will become complacent, or be fearful of others.  We are to continue to love one another.  Elie Wiesel said this about love:

“The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it’s indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it’s indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it’s indifference.”
Elie Wiesel

Who are your heroes?  Wiesel is one of mine.

Just staying with life and death and opposites.  Here is another that may require a brain work out:

‘The opposite of life is not death.  The opposite of death is birth.  Life has no opposite.’

-Eckhart Tolle.

Not sure about this, for from birth proceeds life…anyway, have a think!

‘We do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves.  If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die,  we are the Lord’s.’ (Romans 14:7-8)

‘Just as water reflects the face,

so one human heart reflects another.'(Proverbs 27:19)

Blessings and love,

Barbara Allen