Strange Time of year
It’s was quite a week last week. Its always a strange time of year, the anniversary of 9-11. Radio people and press people trying to get my comments on the latest world terrorist events and “Just remind us again, what were you doing when you heard…?”
I’m not moaning. I guess I feel a bit of responsibility to speak out being someone directly affected by the events of terrorism. But I get asked how I’ll spend the day, will I go to a ‘service’, spend time with my family etc.
This year I laid a tile floor with my son. I didn’t check emails, I called various family members to talk about the weather, forthcoming weddings and how much the children have grown. It really is a strange time of year.
On the 12th I have people saying they’ve seen me in the paper or telling me they heard dads name read out. And then the media.
This year it’s what do I think of a small time American preacher who plans to burn a pile of Qurans. I say I think it’s a ridiculous stunt that will be a recruiting bonanza for Al-Queda and then realise I sound like Obama. So I follow it up with the fact that Jesus only ever attacked his own religion. Reconciliation starts when we look at ourselves.
On Radio 2 I talk about how I found faith. Not in a ‘thunderbolt’ conversion but gradually and by seeing Jesus in people around me.
The weekend is finished off with a book, A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson. Scientific discoveries and explanations convince me even more that God is real when the established religions of the world are turning people off God at an alarming rate.
We need to be more like Jesus to the world.
