Jesus has a wild streak – unruly and disturbing – and he seems to bring it out all about him. Especially when people are gathered for prayer. I imagine every synagogue, every church, every gathering has its own hidden demons. I think we like them that way – hidden, silent, acceptable. There are things we …
Monthly Archives: January 2006
Conversion… Promised Pic
Here’s the photo to accompany my most recent homily. Click to see it full size.
Conversion of St Paul
He might have blinding lights and inaudible voices to bring him to his knees but I have something Paul doesn’t have—a photograph of my conversion.Photo might follow if I can get the scanner to work! Here it is, just after dawn, in Venice, the summer of 1980, waiting to get into the Youth Hostel. I …
“Turning God into a Thug”
Turbulent Cleric has a post that echoes some of the sentiments in the discussion of my previous post.
The Root of All Evil?
Channel 4 has recently screened a two-part documentary by Professor Richard Dawkins vigorously making his case for the irrational and pernicious nature of religion. Judging by the reviews in UK national newspapers (e.g., Guardian) even sympathetic critics considered Dawkins’ style and argument to be over the top. The British Jesuits’ web page has a couple …
Wednesday Week 2 Year II
George Bush is on the phone to Tony Blair — I wish I could do the accents: “Tony you wanted an exit strategy, we got an exit strategy. Forget all the democracy bullshit and rebuilding crap – what say we just duke it out mano a mano. One of them and one of us, hand …
Sunday Week 2 Year B
I always get tripped up, this being the year of Mark’s gospel, when John sticks his nose in like today. Just as I’m beginning to get my head round Mark’s Jesus, John’s version pops up—and they could hardly be more different. Next Sunday we’ll have Mark’s version of today’s events—the calling of disciples—and it’s all …
Wednesday Week 1 Year II
More than the other gospels, Mark throws Jesus at us all of a sudden and all of a piece. Monday he appears from nowhere with his peremptory demands: repent, come, follow. Tuesday he is breaking Sabbath, silencing demons, impressing with an inner authority. And today, Wednesday, he heals, he silences and he seeks silence, and …
A New Year & A New Word
The New Word is epistaxis — or plain old nose bleed to you and me. About 5pm on New Year’s Eve my nose decided to spring a leak and an hour later showed no signs of stopping so I and my Jesuit superior, Ian, spent the evening sitting in a selection of Casualties/A&Es/Emergency Rooms. He …