Rev elations

The Guest who brings the Word of Life We are entering into the holiday season; being abroad, or in a new place means we encounter something of what it feels like to be a foreigner or a stranger – not speaking the language, not knowing the local geography, not knowing the local people means we become more dependent on others. Travelling means that we might have to rely on strangers and not just our smart phones! Travelling brings with it some unavoidable vulnerability; the further we go and the more different the culture, the greater the vulnerability. The missionary nature of the Christian faith means that Christians have always travelled to spread the good news. St Cedd after all journeyed from Lindisfarne to Bradwell; St Paul heeded the call to spread the Gospel to the Gentiles and travelled intensely as he did so. The work of missionaries and travelling friars have been an integral part of the Christian tradition. To be a missionary in a foreign land means to experience vulne...

References: Romans 8:1-11; Isaiah 55:10-13; Psalm 77 St Paul has a thoroughly religious understanding of the world, so even though his dramatic ‘Damascus Road’ conversion has become paradigmatic of the conversion journey, his conversion was from one understanding of salvation to another understanding. It was a movement within monotheism. ·          His movement through Judaism to Christianity is a movement from within one religious framework to another religious framework, one that shares a common heritage and language English society does not operate from a shared religious framework anymore: ·          It has the memory of one, but the language, themes and concepts have been generally rejected, not just forgotten ·          to move into one again would involve a radical departure from the current arc of history Paul’s struggles as eviden...