Categories: uncategorized
Date: 30 January 2008 12:59:15
After my recent lightbulb (or darkbulb?) moment, I've been thinking about times when, often briefly, everything seemed to be crystal clear.
An example. Some years back, our then vicar was encouraging us to read though the bible in a year. I abandoned the attempt, finding the amount of scripture which we had to get through in a day simply indigestible. But as I read a certain passage in Proverbs, I was absolutely convinced that God was telling me not to go on reading a blog which I was, at the time, following. For some time afterwards, I argued against the prohibition, but, eventually, just accepted it. Perhaps there is a test of time to be applied; I can still feel the force of that event.
On the other hand, many years ago, I was on my way to Israel, to spend a summer working in a Church of Scotland hospice. For reasons no longer clear to me, I had elected to travel there over land and sea, and found myself stranded in Athens when the train failed to arrive in time for me to catch the ferry. The few days I spent in Athens waiting for the next sailing were beyond description. Round about dawn on the day when I was to leave, I was walking by the shore, having a conversation with God (or so I thought). I'm pretty sure that the experience was the result of loneliness, tiredness, and anxiety.
And finally, what do we expect children to make of the story of Samuel being called by God in the middle of the night? My daughter and I do SnapShots together, and are in the middle of that very tale. Hannah is sensible enough not to jump to the conclusion that hearing voices is normal spiritual experience. But I, perhaps more literal minded, have never quite rid myself of the idea that I'm somehow missing out. Then again, the message given to Samuel wasn't pleasant. Imagine being told that your mentor is to be punished severely. I sometimes think that some bible stories should carry a government health warning.