The mourners didn’t cause him to stop. Nor did the large crowd, or even the body of the dead man on the stretcher. It was the woman – the look on her face and the redness in her eyes. He went into action. ‘Don’t cry’ he told the mother. ‘Arise!’ he told the boy.His plan was to have a quick nap and so he leaned against the wall of the well. But he was soon interrupted. She came trudging towards him with a heavy stone jar on her shoulder. Her face told her story. The wounds of five broken relationships had left her heart torn. He saw her hopelessness and yet spoke words of hope to her, ‘There will come a day ….’By the time that she had got to Jesus, she had nothing left. The doctors had taken her last penny. The bleeding had robbed her of her last drop of energy. But still she shoved her way through the crowd and when her hand touched his garment a remarkable healing took place. It didn’t bother Jesus that the woman came to him as a last resort. To him, it only mattered that she came. Grace in action.Three women. One bereaved. One rejected. One dying. All alone.The only heads that turned as they walked down the street were shaking heads of disapproval. Had Jesus ignored them, who would have noticed? By the world’s standards these three could give nothing in return. There are many who are shunned by the ‘normal world’. Society doesn’t know what to do with them. And sometimes the Church doesn’t know what to do with them either. But Jesus would find a place for them. He would find a place for them because he cares. And he cares unconditionally.No one would have blamed Jesus for ignoring the three women. To have turned his head would have been much easier, less controversial, and not nearly so risky. But God, who made them, couldn’t do that. And I, who follows him, shouldn’t either. ‘Lord help me to be more like Jesus’.Archdeacon Martin
Click on the Zoom link here to join Ian's meeting. And don't forget to bring your toothbrush.https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2746581498?pwd=WjlIcHBydjdOOEEzZ2tBVDNyMFBaZz09
How can I sing the Lord’s song in a strange land?A cry from Psalm 137, written in a time most of the nation of Judah, with its capital at Jerusalem had been taken into an exile in Babylon. Not all the people were taken of course – there was a remnant of the Southern Kingdom left. Although the people didn’t go willingly, not everyone wanted to return when it became possible. They were those who had discovered how to sing the Lord’s song, not in a strange land, but in a new land.They were surprised that the singing of their cherished song sounded different, but felt the same. What they brought with them about the worship of God was still the same and, at the same time, new.They remembered what they had been taught but what really surprised them was that they discovered their God in a strange land. Not just in Judah, not just in Jerusalem but everywhere. ‘How can we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land?’, became ‘How can we sing the Lord’s song in a new land?’Like those in Exile, we have all been navigating a ‘strange land’. And we are continually surprised by what we are learning. When things eventually settle into a new normal will we just go back to singing the old songs in the old ways? Or will what has surprised us stay with us and inspire us to sing the Lord’s song in new ways in our new land?
A new place of worship is set to be built in Berlin that will bring together Christians, Jews and Muslims under one roof.It will be called the House of One and the foundation stone will be laid on May 27. The building will cost £52m and will incorporate a church, a mosque and a synagogue as well as a central meeting space.It is a remarkable demonstration of interfaith unity in a part of the old East Berlin where the former Communist regime attempted to outlaw religion. In fact, the site for development is the former St Peter's Church in Petriplatz which was damaged in the Second World War and demolished in 1964 by the GDR authorities.When the foundations of the former church were uncovered more than a decade ago thoughts turned to creating a memorial or building a new church on the site. But Richard Stolte, a Christian theologian who helped start the project explained: "The idea is pretty simple. We wanted to build a house of prayer and learning where these three religions could co-exist while each retaining their own identity."Andreas Nachkam, a rabbi who is turning the vision into reality in partnership with a pastor and imam, added: "There are many ways to God and each is a good way. In the House of One, Christians, Muslims and Jews would worship separately but would visit each other for religious holidays, commemorations and celebrations."It is more than a symbol. It is the start of a new era where we show there is no hate between us."
