All good things come to an end

From the regeneration of a favourite Doctor Who to the end of an empire to the end of the whole universe and life as we know it… all good things come to an end. Or so it seems.

As far as I know, the new season of Doctor Who won’t be Matt Smith’s last, but I did want to mention him in a post here. However, I did think that last week would be Colonel Gaddafi’s last as Libyan leader.

But he is still there, and there seems to be little change in the situation. Let’s pray that the situation is resolved quickly, peacefully and in the best interests for the Libyan people.

And last night I ended up feeling a little, ‘So that’s it?’ as I watched Wonders of the Universe. Dr Brian Cox, the Uk’s hip cosmologist, explained entropy and the out-working of the second law of thermodynamics, which basically means that eventually the universe will just fade away to nothing.

I know this will take an unfathomable amount of time, but there is something quite final about such a worn out end to things. Give him his due, he did try to promote the importance of living in the here and now and enjoying the marvel that is life, but even so…

This week’s WordLive covers the end of David’s reign as king of Israel. I wonder how the nation felt at the loss of David? Future generations certainly missed him and longed for a king like David, a messiah in fact.

Personally I think that the Messiah has already existed. And I believe that something exists beyond what is bound by entropy.

How’s your faith holding up?

Darren

Your kingdom come

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, or you have better things to do with your life, you’ll know that the Oscars have just taken place. The red carpet and designer frocks were beamed worldwide as the Academy handed out their gold statuettes. The King’s Speech received the award for best film and its star Colin Firth the award for best actor.
In the real world (Oh, was that a little harsh?) the leader of Libya Muammar Gaddafi is still holding on despite increased pressure from the rest of the world.

And across the sea from England, a new Irish government is being formed after the country rejected the rule of the previous government following the financial crisis that hit them.

And in WordLive David, the king, is struggling with his kingdom and his children. From king’s speeches to revolutions, from ousted governments to family feuds, it seems that when we rely on our own strength, humanity messes things up.

Darren

Tumbling like a house of cards

A little over a week since the Egyptian people overthrew an unjust regime, a similar story unfolds on the streets of Libya. As I type this the world is unsure as to exactly what is going on and what is happening. There are rumours of defections, alliances falling and security force crackdowns.

At one point on the night of 21st February, a rumour that Colonel Gaddafi had fled the country led to crowds celebrating in the streets. But then his son appeared on state television, offering to talk to the protestors and warning of civil war.

Meanwhile there is still unrest in the kingdom of Bahrain. Once again the people want reform and are unhappy with the way the country is being ruled. After an initial military crackdown protestors are once again making their voices heard.

And these two countries are not the only ones in the Middle East that are having civil unrest. Yemen, Algeria and even Iran are all experiencing varying degrees of protest.

In WordLive this week we hear about Jesus’ compassion for those who are the outcasts and least in their society, and how these people respond to Jesus. As we look at events in the world, how should we respond?

Do we ask for a peaceful resolution? Of course! But should we also be calling for the oppressed to be set free and the widow, orphan and poor to be treated justly?

Prayer is not our only option.

Darren

Love is all around?

This week started with Valentine’s Day, so there may be a theme running through this piece…
One of the long-running stories in recent weeks came to an initial conclusion. On the whole, a peaceful revolution in Egypt took place when President Hosni Mubarak resigned. Love had been shown by many of the protestors and one of the most endearing images was one that highlighted the love between Christians and Muslims.

Back in the UK, the Prime Minister was defending his plans for the Big Society, where local people take care of local issues. It’s a ‘share the love’ idea where people care about others in their communities and make those communities a better place.

He was defending it because its detractors feel a lack of funds will stop it from being viable. I wonder if a bigger problem could be the general lack of love between people in society. Are we more concerned about ourselves than others?

And that brings us to this week’s WordLive. Later this week Jesus challenges his society to love their enemies. In a week when love is all around, what better message could there be?

Darren

Actions have consequences

The news is still dominated by the events in Egypt with the call from the protestors for the President to go. The government is trying to make a deal with the demonstrators and bring some stability to the country. But the demonstrators are wary of what is being offered.

In the strange world of sport we have Formula 1 driver Robert Kubica fighting for his career, and the use of his arm, after crashing a rally car. Meanwhile in football the current Premier League leaders Manchester Utd, the team on an unbeaten run lasting 29 games, finally lost… to the team currently bottom of the league – Wolves.

In WordLive we see that the great King David can mess things up big time. And one man’s ‘indiscretion’ ends up affecting a multitude of others. Whether it is in government and politics, or sport, or any other activity we take part in, individual actions can have big consequences.

How do you decide what to do?

Darren

Over-qualified?

Your suitability for a job can be determined by your qualifications and your ability to perform its requirements. Over the weekend the ability of Sian Massey to perform the job of assistant referee was called into question by two TV presenters. However, it could be that their ability to perform their jobs is now in question.
The world’s ability to feed its growing population is also under the spotlight following a study by The Foresight Report on Food and Farming Futures. It reveals that urgent action is needed to avoid global hunger.

And a deal to get British banks lending to small businesses has apparently stalled. So despite small businesses having the right ‘qualifications’ they’ll continue to struggle to get the credit to run until a deal is met.

But what about the qualifications and abilities of the people who Jesus recruited to be his followers; the disciples? Well this week on WordLive we’ll see Jesus call the first of them. An interesting selection – unqualified and lacking ability – but they did have faith and believed in Jesus. Perhaps that is all that is needed?

Darren

Lack of understanding leads to inaction?

Both the United Kingdom and parts of North America have recently been hit by severe cold weather. Over the weekend snowfall in Minneapolis caused the roof of a sports arena to collapse. This has led to people wondering why it is so cold if the world is heating up, although world climate and local weather are two different things.

Following two bomb blasts in Sweden, a house in Luton is being searched. The house belongs to the suspected bomber; although neighbours appear to be in shock that he could possibly do such a thing. What leads people to such desperate actions often seems hard to understand.

Monday's Manchester United football game against Arsenal will be watched by some of the Chilean miners who were trapped underground for so long. As they were trapped in the mine I wonder how many times they asked the question: why is this happening to us? However, they kept going and were eventually rescued.

This week WordLive is delving into the sometimes difficult to understand words of the book of Revelation. But as we have seen above, life isn’t always about understanding everything but about how we respond to what we do know.

Darren