Hmm.. There have probably been many, many posts with this title.
This is a little different.
I got back from Ibiza last week and through illness, work and an increasing sense of need I haven't really left Luton. Thats been really right in so many ways, and there have been a few things that I have noticed, just from being around.
The first was seeing two pieces in the local Sunday rag. The forst was a parody about some council plans. They are plans to unearth the river that has been buried under the centre of town for centuries. Its not a big river but its uncovering is something we have been praying for for ages. Then on the back page, there was a piece about taking the Vauxhall sign down from the now defunct factory. Since I was a child the Griffin has been the sign of welcome over the town, again we have been praying that that would just go.. the feeling of a prowling aslan increases.
Not all good though. In response to prayer, I have been able to hang out with some of my mates from the estate. In terms of dealing with issues of justice we have been having a hard time. Here is not the place to rant about getting community access to community buildings but....
Suffice to say it has been interesting.
Last night we were faced with yet another frustration. We adjourned to a friend's house.. where a local fella sat down and told me a long and intense story of brokeness. It seems that there is a local paedophile ring preying on estate kids (classically grooming kids who have already been abused). Further it seems that there is a film racket out of this..
Theres more to it but it just left me gutted again- young people are being abused and manipulated by those who really should be looking out for them. Vested interests mean that things are not really getting dealt with.. again the poor in our town are oppressed and abused.
I left them a little later (after chats about American apocolyptic writing, life as a nun, being a Christian etc).... as I ran away to the pub I cried out to God, what can we do, how, when, what, why...
Two hours later, as I drove home, I glanced up to the hills above Luton. I double took as I thought I saw fire and smoke.. but as I looked again I saw it was just.. well a red moon rising.
In the midst of all the institutionalised mess, all the greed and sin and brokeness, This King, this God, raises up a red moon.. it promises hope.. it promises a better way, it promises the Kingdom...
This is a little different.
I got back from Ibiza last week and through illness, work and an increasing sense of need I haven't really left Luton. Thats been really right in so many ways, and there have been a few things that I have noticed, just from being around.
The first was seeing two pieces in the local Sunday rag. The forst was a parody about some council plans. They are plans to unearth the river that has been buried under the centre of town for centuries. Its not a big river but its uncovering is something we have been praying for for ages. Then on the back page, there was a piece about taking the Vauxhall sign down from the now defunct factory. Since I was a child the Griffin has been the sign of welcome over the town, again we have been praying that that would just go.. the feeling of a prowling aslan increases.
Not all good though. In response to prayer, I have been able to hang out with some of my mates from the estate. In terms of dealing with issues of justice we have been having a hard time. Here is not the place to rant about getting community access to community buildings but....
Suffice to say it has been interesting.
Last night we were faced with yet another frustration. We adjourned to a friend's house.. where a local fella sat down and told me a long and intense story of brokeness. It seems that there is a local paedophile ring preying on estate kids (classically grooming kids who have already been abused). Further it seems that there is a film racket out of this..
Theres more to it but it just left me gutted again- young people are being abused and manipulated by those who really should be looking out for them. Vested interests mean that things are not really getting dealt with.. again the poor in our town are oppressed and abused.
I left them a little later (after chats about American apocolyptic writing, life as a nun, being a Christian etc).... as I ran away to the pub I cried out to God, what can we do, how, when, what, why...
Two hours later, as I drove home, I glanced up to the hills above Luton. I double took as I thought I saw fire and smoke.. but as I looked again I saw it was just.. well a red moon rising.
In the midst of all the institutionalised mess, all the greed and sin and brokeness, This King, this God, raises up a red moon.. it promises hope.. it promises a better way, it promises the Kingdom...
Comments
i don´t know what it means but i get it!!
i see the beauty but don´t understand it and i know it´s bigger than me