News and reflections

“You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?” Jesus, in Luke 12:49-56.

“What did you make today: a difference or an excuse?” Noel Edmonds.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus speaks of bringing fire to the earth – Moses’ burning bush, the pillar of fire and cloud which lead the Israelites, Elijah’s chariot of fire and the tongues of flames at Pentecost resonate with this as signs of God’s activity in the world. But fire can also burn and destroy, as John the Baptist warned when suggesting that what is not fruitful will be cut down and thrown into the flames. Jesus himself also speaks of hellfire in Matthew 25:41 and of creating division rather than peace on earth, despite so often being called the Prince of Peace.

Recently, in nearby Shropshire, the plentiful harvest of straw that one farmer had grown and stored in two barns caught alight in the fourth heatwave this year. The Fire Brigade would usually remove some of the burning straw to take it into the fields to be soaked for the flames to be extinguished but, as the grass was so dry, it could not be done in case that ignited too. The surrounding streams and pools were also too low to use to supply the hoses and so water had to be brought from further afield by bowsers, which delayed the flames being extinguished. Consequently, the farm’s entire straw harvest for use with livestock during the winter was lost, both barns destroyed and the farmer’s livelihood imperilled after so much hard work in vain.

Whether or not this is due to climate change or the earth’s natural cycle is a moot point, although the blackberries are ready much earlier than usual and some trees are already dropping leaves and even branches – signs of the stress they are under after so much heat and lack of water. Jesus, often so observant of nature around him, refers to the signs of changing clouds or winds to indicate forthcoming rain or heat but links this to discerning the signs of the age in which he and his followers live – much more than just the weather forecasting he mentions. As he warns his followers of the strife and divisions of the times, Jesus also accuses some of them of hypocrisy in not recognising the spiritual significance of what is happening. The Prince of the Peace of which angels sang at his birth also blessed peacemakers in the Beatitudes, spoke of leaving peace with his followers before his death and, at his resurrection, reassured his frightened disciples with his first words, “Peace be with you”. But this was in the context of the terrible violence meted out to him at his imprisonment, crucifixion and death – it is not the shallow, false peace of appeasement but the peace bought at so great a cost.

That was reflected in the VJ Day commemorations this week when the Forgotten Army in Burma, a multinational force made from the Commonwealth countries who spoke 100 languages between them, was remembered and the sacrifice made by so many in the war with Japan was acknowledged. The deaths and terrible suffering on all sides brought an end to the fighting, though not necessarily the hostility, as the challenge of the work of the peace began. That challenge continues today, as the signs of the times are interpreted in our generation as well as those in the time of Jesus. Warnings of fire and division are hard and costly to bear – but so is the possibility of a just peace and collaboration across nationalities, faiths and cultural divides if the commitment and will for this can succeed. Which will prevail? Will the example of those who paid the price in Burma inspire us in so uncertain a world and could the fire of which Jesus spoke also enlighten the way forward, whether divided or united? As the King said on VJ Day, the “….courage and camaraderie displayed in humanity’s darkest hour is a flame that shall blaze for eternity – a beacon that honours our past and guides our future.”

With my prayers; pob bendith,
Christine, Priest Guardian.

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you….Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not let them be afraid.” Jesus, in St. John 14:27.

“He told me that on VJ Day, they were told to line up their vehicles on the shore as a show of victory. He said he hoped the Japanese nearby had also been told that the War had ended – otherwise they would have been sitting ducks!” Gnr S Perkins, Field Artillery, quoted by his son.

Today’s reflection is the letter beneath from Sister Mary of the Angels, an Irish nun living in the Far East during the Second World War. She writes to reassure Mrs. Orford, the wife of a soldier who has been helping with the repairs needed to the Convent, that her husband is in good health and that they may be reunited in the near future. The letter is a remarkable testimony to the circumstances and sentiments of the time and is an authentic voice speaking across the years to us today as we, in our own troubled times, face similar challenges and the same need for courage and faith. The print can be enlarged but, if it’s not possible to do this and it’s too small to read easily, please go to ve-vjday80.gov.uk and search in the letters section for Sister Mary to the wife of a soldier who had helped repair her convent.

With my prayers; pob bendith,

Christine, Priest Guardian.

“I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.” The rich farmer, in a parable told by Jesus in Luke 12:13-21.

“Honour the Lord with your substance and with the first fruits of all your produce.”Proverbs 3:9.

Lammas, or Loaf-mass, is traditionally held on August 1st, or thereabouts, and marks the gathering of the first fruits of the harvest with a wheat loaf made from the grain being offered at the altar. An ancient thanksgiving, from a time when people were much more in touch with the land and dependent on its yield than some may be today, it was the start of the garnering of the crops which would end with the celebration of Harvest Festival when, according to the hymn, “all is safely gathered in”. 

Here in the valley, the hay bales in the adjoining field are already awaiting collection and it’s been a busy time with the cutting, turning and drying of the crop as tractors and balers cross-crossed the fields. Not least has been the activity from the red kites and other birds that have been clearing up the carrion left by the machinery – the low-flying kites are remarkable to watch, with their beautiful plumage and skilled aerial acrobatics a fascinating sight. 

Lammas goes back to Old Testament times when the Hebrews celebrated the start of harvest by bringing the first fruits to be blessed. This happened during Shavuot, the Festival of Weeks – usually in late May or early June, which is when the wheat harvest in Israel occurs. Shavuot also marked the giving of the Torah to Moses on Mount Sinai, when the Jews waited so long for Moses’ return that their milk turned to cheese and cheesecake and cheese-filled pancakes became traditional Shavuot foods. The first fruits come in many forms, with the Jews also seeing themselves and their lives as the first fruits of God’s harvest, echoed by St Paul when writing of the resurrection, ‘For now is Christ risen, the first fruits of those who have died.’ 1 Corinthians15:20. In today’s Gospel, Jesus speaks of a rich farmer who decides to pull down his barns and build bigger ones to store the abundant harvest his land had produced – yet he dies that night. He was fortunate in being wealthy and planning for the future is wise, but the farmer seemed only to be concerned with his own needs and not those of anyone else. Jesus uses the story to warn those who are not rich towards God or generous to others that our lives and possessions are not for ourselves alone but for those in need too. The offering of the first fruits to be blessed was a sign of the fruitfulness of fields and lives as well as a thanksgiving to be shared by the whole community which was not to be taken for granted – and it still is! 

With my prayers; pob bendith,Christine, Priest Guardian.

“Give us this day our daily bread.” Jesus, in the Lord’s Prayer, Luke 11:1-13. 

“Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tyre?” Corrie Ten Boom.

Today’s Gospel reading begins with Jesus at prayer and something about this makes one of the disciples ask him to teach them how to pray. They have presumably seen him pray many times and begun to understand how central prayer is to Jesus, who then teaches them what is now known as the Lord’s Prayer. He tells them to call God by the familiar name of Abba, Father, to honour his name and to pray for his will to shape our lives and world. Jesus also tells them to ask for daily needs to be met, the forgiveness of sins and the avoidance of temptation as well as protection from danger. Two stories then follow: first, that of the persistent friend and then about asking. These say much about prayer itself.

In the first parable, a friend goes to his neighbour at midnight and asks him for three loaves of bread as a guest has arrived and he has nothing to give him. It may seem that, at such a late hour, it’s a cheek to wake up a neighbour and that it’s no surprise when the neighbour angrily tells him not to bother him. However, in those days, hospitality was fundamental and a neighbour would be expected to help supply what was needed no matter when that happened – it’s not the neighbour asking who is behaving badly but the one who’s refusing to help him and ignoring what was seen as a social obligation. Eventually, when the neighbour who needs bread refuses to give up, his insistence pays off and what’s needed is given in order to stop the nuisance. Perseverance is rewarded!

The second story about prayer suggests that, just as a caring parent will give their children what they need, so God will give even more to those who come to him. Jesus invites his followers to ask, seek and knock – just like that persistent neighbour – and to bring their requests and hopes to God in prayer. Just as the neighbour is implored for bread, which is eventually supplied, so Jesus tells his followers to bring these practical needs to God too, in the hope that they will also be answered.

So, Jesus encourages his followers to be persistent in prayer and develop a personal trust in God akin to that of a good parent/child relationship. He suggests that prayer will be answered, but as those who pray often discover, this will not always be in the time or way expected and sometimes prayer will not be fulfilled, for reasons which may only become clear much later on. As Randy Smith puts it: “If the….blessings we desire were always and immediately given at our request, God would become nothing more than a slot machine….and our prayers would become meaningless tokens mechanically fed into an apparatus….with which we have no relationship.” Part of being a good parent is saying no to protect or enable learning and perseverance – might it be that difficulties with prayer sometimes develop because it is unoffered rather than unanswered?

With my prayers; pob bendith,

Christine, Priest Guardian.

“There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part.” Jesus, in today’s Gospel Luke 10:38-42.

‘This is of exceptional national significance.’ Guto, on behalf of the University of Wales.

Serendipity, co-incidence, God incidence: at times, things can happen with a similarity that may seem to resonate in an unexpected way. That happened this week at St Melangell’s when news came of a gravestone of national significance which dates from 1699 and is in the churchyard here. It’s a monologue to his dead wife by the deceased person, referencing the Biblical story of sisters Mary and Martha, and may be linked to an educated family of priests with the surname Thomas who were known to live in the parish at that time. This, in a week 326 years later, in which someone with that surname is staying in the Shepherd’s Hut and read the Gospel of the same two sisters! 

Guto has been in touch to provide the information that the gravestone’s inscription is in seventeenth century Welsh and reads :

MEGIS MAIR DDIWAIR

OEDD ARA

DYWYSEN

DEWISAIS RAN

IOWNDDA

TRWY YMWRTHOD

TRO MARTHA

FORWYN DDOE-

-TH I FARW YN DD and translates as 

LIKE FAITHFUL MARY (WHO WAS A GRACEFUL BUD/EAR OF CORN) I MADE THE EXCELLENT CHOICE (BY REJECTING MARTHA’S TURN) OF A WISE MAIDEN, TO DIE WELL.

The memorial is important as its form is the englyn unodl union, which is fundamental to Welsh bardic tradition, and it is apparently one of the very earliest englynion beddau, or strict metre poetry on graves. There are over 27,000 of these worldwide and Guto writes that this ‘is of huge significance because this is a clever, inventive and masterly englyn, evidence of the survival of the inheritors of the medieval bardic order.’ Thanks to Guto for this and further information which will soon be published through the University of Wales Press. 

It’s interesting to note that, in 1699, the reference to faithful Mary seems to praise her whereas Martha’s example is rejected. In the story, Mary sits at Jesus’ feet listening to him, which would normally be the practice of men only, and she was bold in doing this. Martha, in turn, becomes annoyed, chiding Jesus for not getting Mary to help her with the work that needs doing and suggesting he doesn’t care about Martha. Jesus tells her that she is worried and distracted by many things, whereas Mary has chosen to spend time with him – the difficulty with this is that Mary may be making time for Jesus at Martha’s expense. In those days, the provision of hospitality was a priority and perhaps Martha’s concern is about doing this alone. Is that what’s made her anxious? Some may agree that Mary has chosen well and others may have sympathy for Martha with so much to do on her own.

However, if hospitality is her concern, Martha also breaks the rules – just as Mary does by sitting with men – when she complains to Jesus, dragging him into a domestic dispute and possibly causing embarrassment to all present. In suggesting that she’s distracted, Jesus may be indicating that Martha is being pulled in many directions and not truly living in the present moment with her guest. Perhaps that’s why he says that Mary has chosen the better part – she is giving Jesus her full attention while he is in her home. 

There are many things in life that may distract and worry us, diverting us from giving proper attention to what is happening like Martha, just as there may be times when we are able to spend time listening to the voice of Jesus like Mary. Prayer and work, rest and responsibilities – all are needed at different times and for various reasons. Perhaps the challenge lies in the balance of the two for laborare est orare, orare est laborare: to work is to pray and to pray is to work. 

That applies as much in 2025 as it did in 1699 and in the choices made down the years, whether by those now at rest or alive today. For the challenge to give attention to Jesus and to find peace and hope in the face of so much that could worry or distract us continues, whatever the demands and joys of our own situations. Perhaps 1699 and 2025 are not so far apart as we sometimes think!

With my prayers; pob bendith,

Christine, Priest Guardian.

As the Guardian’s mother’s funeral was being held over the weekend, today’s reflection has kindly been written by Christopher Belk – thanks to him for doing this. 

I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,

And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by;

And the wheel’s kick and the wind’s song and the white sail’s shaking,

And a grey mist on the sea’s face, and a grey dawn breaking.

I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide

Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;

And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,

And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,

To the gull’s way and the whale’s way where the wind’s like a whetted knife;

And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,

And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick’s over. John Masefield

While I was thinking about today’s service, and particularly about the OT reading and the psalm, I for some reason thought the gospel reading was the story of the Prodigal Son, and only on checking yesterday I discovered actually it is the Good Samaritan. So forgive me if I talk a bit about both, and not very much about the sea, given that Christine has in her July notes already paid tribute to the charities who care for seafarers.

In the OT reading, Moses is giving his last advice before his death. He emphasises God’s desire to bless his people, and declares and urges two conditions for getting that blessing; they should obey God’s commandments and they should turn to God with their hearts.

Jesus summarised the law (quoting Moses) as only requiring 2 things; love of God and love of neighbour.

In Psalm 25, written by King David though not clear at what stage of his life, he also declares his confidence in God’s desire to bless, and brings before God the way in which sin, or disobedience, gets in the way. We know he committed one serious sin when he stole Uriah’s wife and had Uriah killed, but psalm 51 deals with that one, and psalm 25 seems to deal with the sort of daily problems and disobediences which we all face. He says to God, OK, I’ve told you everything, I’m turning to you, now turn to me. It’s not as though God had turned away from one he loved, rather that God only turns in one direction, towards those who love him. It says in the hymn, there is no shadow of turning with thee, meaning that God’s desire to bless never changes; only our ability or willingness to receive it does.

It’s easy to think that God is only interested in obedience to rules, and that our daily and often unconscious imperfections disqualify us from his love, and that the church is only interested in condemnation and conformity. In the Good Samaritan parable the priest and Levite who passed by were probably focussing on obedience to detail of the Jewish law which forbade associating with outsiders and required ritual cleanness. But it seems in their hearts they were not turned to God’s love. By contrast, the Samaritan did not observe the Jewish law as such, but his heart was turned to God so that he could hear God’s prompting to be a neighbour.

In the Prodigal Son story we have the two brothers, the younger who did his own thing but then turned back to his father, and the elder brother who saw no need to turn at all. Too often we are

like the elder brother, or the priest and Levite, thinking we are respectable; loving neighbours and family when we feel like it, or it’s socially acceptable; condemning those we think of as undeserving; but not seeing how we are missing out on God’s blessings if we do not turn fully to God. The younger son had good reason to think his father might not receive him back, or if he did only as a menial servant, but the father truly showed what God is like; it takes only a turn in the right direction for God to show his unwavering desire to bless far more than we deserve.

God is portrayed in the Bible not only as father longing for his estranged children but also (notably in Isaiah and Hosea) as lover seeking to attract his faithless beloved .

I included the Masefield poem in this service because it is about the romance and attractiveness of the sea. Many fear the sea any further out than paddling distance, and indeed the Bible (and our first hymn) tend to emphasise its dangers and in Revelation’s picture of heaven there is no more sea. But we need to be ready to realise God’s thrilling attraction and, and dare to believe, as Jesus taught and lived, that journeying with our father God is an adventure full of delight, especially the delight of his presence in times of trouble. Not to mention the comradeship of “fellow rovers”.. Let’s stop just paddling with God.

So how easy is it to turn to God? In one way it is easy and the work of a moment, in other ways it can involve much heart searching, much practice in listening to God, and gradually much more obedience. The Prodigal son parable is often quoted in terms of initial conversion, but we all have the daily and hourly need to keep turning to God, and doing so helps us to understand who for the moment is the neighbour God is asking us to love.

Going back to the sea theme, a sailing dinghy can turn very quickly though it takes practice to do it right without capsizing, as Ruth could tell you from the days when we used to race one together. (I got quite confident I had acquired that skill, and one holiday in the Algarve hired a one-man stand-up sailboard and took off in the direction of N Africa. After a good mile or so I tried to turn round and found I couldn’t turn it, though capsizing was easy: eventually and embarrassingly they sent a motor boat to pull me back). By contrast a loaded oil tanker is very stable but takes nearly half an hour to turn 180 degrees.

Many of us can point to dinghy moments when we suddenly realised and accepted that God had more for us and started a fresh tack. Many of us have spent a lifetime getting slowly closer but still have not turned fully. Many of us may need a bit of help in the form of example, love and prayer from others. Most of us need God’s help and example in loving unattractive people.

If you have never fully discovered God’s father love and thrilling adventure, don’t be frightened of capsizing but turn now. As they say in the sailing boats, “Ready about!”

“Go on your way.” Jesus in Luke 10:1-11, 16-20.

“We will rescue those in peril and we will find those who are missing. But I would also ask: Please pray for our community.“ Mayor of Kerrville, Texas. 

In today’s Gospel, Luke writes that Jesus sent out 70 (72 in some versions) followers in pairs to go ahead of him to the towns and places where he intends to go. He first tells them to pray and then to carry no purse, bag or sandals, to greet no-one on the road so that they are not distracted and to stay in the same house eating and drinking whatever they are given. They are to cure the sick, and Jesus twice tells them to declare that the kingdom of God has come near, whether they are accepted or not. He also tells the 70 to say, “Peace to this house!” on arrival, implying that they will be at peace in order to share it, even though they don’t know what lies ahead. That peace is to be given unconditionally, whether or not the occupants are Jew or Gentile, lawful or willing to accept them. It’s the peace that comes from trusting God which, in Welsh, translates as tangnefedd, from tanc, an older word for peace and nefoedd, meaning heaven – that heavenly peace which is so much more than just the absence of war or disagreement.

Jesus also instructs the 70 to shake off the dust on their feet if they are rejected – this may happen to them, as to him. As Jesus tells them that he is sending them like lambs to the slaughter, this could be a fearful prospect for the 70, but these are clearly people of faith who can be trusted and who will in turn trust that their needs will be supplied. 

The 70 do what is asked of them and return later, joyful about what has happened. Jesus warns them not to get carried away by temporary spiritual successes but to rejoice about their place in heaven – a contrast with life today, when material success alone seems to be valued by many. 

Jesus uses the harvest as an example for the 70, saying that the crop is ready but the labourers are few. By contrast, after the driest spring for over a hundred years, maize is failing in some parts of the UK this year whilst the harvest of winter barley is ready over a month early. However, the stems are short and the heads small, affecting the straw for cattle with the yield for cereal being down by possibly 25-30%, which may have later consequences for animals and humans alike. Whatever the weather in the time of Jesus, the harvest would be labour intensive whereas nowadays machinery and A I make a difference. Yet, workers are still in short supply although crops failing or being ready early may affect the booking and availability of equipment to harvest it – that old scythe in my shed may be needed after all!

None of us know when our lives will be harvested as shown by the terrible devastation in Texas on Friday when floods made the river Guadalupe rise 26 feet in 45 minutes, killing at least 68 people, 21 of them youngsters, with 11 children still missing. As one person said, “It could have been me.” About 850 people were saved and the mayor vowed to rescue and find those missing as personnel and resources were sent out to seek them. The mayor also called for prayer and, in these uncertain times, that’s a resource that can always be deployed whatever the circumstances being faced. Jesus told his 70 workers to pray as they went on their way – as we consider how we are also commissioned and sent out by him today, is prayer used as much as it could be? 

Peace be with you; tangnefedd,

Christine, Priest Guardian. 

Sea Sunday falls on July 13th this year and the theme is ‘Who is my neighbour?’ It comes from the story of the Good Samaritan who came to the aid of a man hurt in a robbery, whereas others who might have been expected to help him first did not. That is still happening today as more seafarers are being abandoned by their companies, facing piracy, often not allowed shore leave and have to be away from their families for very lengthy periods – serious mental health issues are a consequence for some. 

Stella Maris, the Catholic Chaplaincy to seafarers, tells the story of a ship’s cook who needed the help of a good neighbour when he became seriously ill. Carlo was due to fly home to the Philippines, but needed to be admitted to hospital. The ship had to leave and Carlo was left completely alone in a foreign country. He spent three weeks in hospital and was visited by Steve, the port chaplain, who called regularly and brought clean clothes, food, and a mobile phone SIM card so that Carlo could speak to his family. On his birthday, Steve arrived with a card and a small gift. It was a simple act of kindness, but it meant a lot.

Three weeks is a long time to be in hospital, far from home, with no familiar faces around. But thanks to Steve, Carlo had someone to visit him who made sure he was not alone or forgotten: a good neighbour. Even when Carlo returned home, the support didn’t stop and a chaplain to seafarers in the Philippines still ensures he gets the care he needs there. 

As uncertainty and risk increases at such a challenging time, good neighbours are needed more than ever in all communities. For seafarers, those in the fishing industry and their families the need can be great so, when fish, food, clothing or goods imported from overseas are next picked up when shopping, spare a thought for those who have been involved in getting them there. The price paid may be much more than just that on the label. 

With my prayers; pob bendith,

Christine, Priest Guardian.

The following services will be held in July:

Thursday 3rd, noon: Holy Eucharist.

Third Sunday after Trinity, July 6th, 3pm: Service of reflection.

Thursday 10th, noon: Service of the word.

Fourth Sunday after Trinity, July 13th, 3pm: Service of reflection for Sea Sunday.

Thursday 17th July, noon: Service of the word.

Fifth Sunday after Trinity, July 20th, 3pm:  Service of reflection.

Thursday 24th, noon: Holy Eucharist and service of healing.

Sixth Sunday after Trinity, 27th July, 3pm: Service of reflection.

Monday 28th July, 10.30am: Julian Group at the Centre.

Thursday 31st July, noon: Holy Eucharist.

The service on Thursdays is followed by a shared lunch at the Centre with tea and cake on Sundays. For further details or to book the Shepherd’s Hut, please ring 01691 860408 or contact admin@stmelangell.org

”You of little faith, why did you doubt?” Jesus to Peter in Matthew 14:22-33.

”From silly devotions and sour-faced saints, good Lord, deliver us.” St Teresa of Avila. 

Today is the feast day of Saints Peter and Paul, two very different men who greatly influenced the development of the early Christian church – albeit in very different ways. Tradition has it that both were martyred on this day in AD 67 during the persecutions of Christians ordered by the Roman Emperor Nero, Peter through being crucified upside down and Paul by beheading. It’s suggested that Peter, originally a married working fisherman, did not consider himself worthy to die in the same way as Jesus, whereas Paul was beheaded because he was a Roman citizen and so could not be crucified. However, it’s improbable that both men were martyred on the same day – much more likely is that the early Christians adapted some of the pagan traditions of the time to make themselves more acceptable. Rome is founded on the story of Romulus and Remus, the legendary twin brothers who were commemorated on that date, and so the two towering figures in the early church may have been celebrated together instead.

That Christianisation happened here in this valley, too, which was held to be a sacred place long before Christianity. The ancient yew trees in the churchyard are believed to have been planted by pagans and druids at least two thousand years ago – yews were associated with creation, immortality and regeneration because they are evergreen and the branches form new trees when they reach the ground. That then became linked with death, resurrection and the eternal love of Almighty God as Christianity evolved and it’s fascinating to think that the trees may have been at least six hundred years old even in the time of Melangell.

Just as Christianity itself evolved, so both Peter and Paul assumed new identities as their own faith developed, Peter being also called Simon, Simon Peter and Cephas whereas Paul had originally been named Saul before his conversion. Both had their failings too, impetuous Peter being accused of having little faith by Jesus when he became fearful in attempting to walk on water like him. He also denied Jesus thrice, later being commissioned three times by Jesus, whilst Paul had persecuted Christians before his conversion and was present at the stoning of the first martyr, Stephen. He then had to contend with the understandable suspicions of the first Christians that he could not be trusted, just as Peter had to deal with concerns such as whether or not the practices and dietary laws of the Jews needed still to be observed as the early church emerged from Judaism.

From those failings and the learning from them, both Peter and Paul developed the strong faith which made them such noted apostles, Peter through his leadership and witness and the theologian Paul with his missionary journeys and writings which became a fundamental part of the New Testament. These are not the sour-faced saints to which St Teresa referred but men who knew what it was to get things wrong, to learn from what had happened and to speak of the love and grace of God. As their faith grew, so a new identity developed from the foundations of what had gone before and, in the changing times in which we live, may their courageous examples inspire us as we deal with the identities and contentious issues evolving around us today.

With my prayers; pob bendith,

Christine, Priest Guardian.

“Return to your home and declare how much God has done for you.” Jesus to Legion in today’s Gospel Luke 8:26-39.

“Was that creativity due to bipolar? Was I in manic phase, mania, when I was creating all those dishes? I have no idea, but it would make sense.” Chef Heston Blumenthal, diagnosed with bipolar and known for his unusual dishes and flavour combinations. 

Today’s reading is that of a man with mental health issues which, in the time of Jesus, were termed demons. The account in Luke is similar to that in Mark, both happening in the country of the Gerasenes, but in Matthew there are two men and it happens in the country of the Gaderenes. Gerasa and Gadera are places but, as this event occurs near the lake Jesus has just crossed, it takes place in the area between the two places themselves. As Matthew had Jewish readers in mind, he would perhaps have focussed on Gadara as the most important city for Jews whereas Mark and Luke, having wider issues, may have named Gerasa, the Greek and Roman city in the region. 

In Luke’s version, the man was naked and also under guard with chains and shackles restraining him although his manic strength meant that he could sometimes break them. Yet, when Jesus arrives, the man meets him, falls down before him and shouts at Jesus as he asks what he wants with him – even though all Jesus has done is step off the boat. He implores Jesus not to torment him and, when Jesus asks his name he replies, “Legion” – many. Luke, a doctor, notes that the man had many demons and when Jesus is begged to let them live, they choose to go into a herd of swine that rush down the hillside and are drowned in the lake. This raises some difficult questions.

The abyss was regarded as a deep place for evil spirits and a chaotic place, the depths of the sea being thought to be part of this. It may have been that the charge of the pigs was a visible sign that his troubles had left Legion and that his demons had gone but why was it necessary for so many animals to die? Later scholars such as Augustine of Hippo and Thomas Aquinas took this to mean that the loss of the pigs indicated that Christians had no responsibility for the welfare of animals. That lead to disputes over animal rights but Luke suggests that the demons themselves chose to go into the herd, although he also indicates that Jesus agreed to this. The eating of pork is banned in Judaism but Jesus has now entered Gentile territory and so the death of the pigs causes understandable consternation for the swineherds – their livelihood is now lost. 

Was it right to take the swineherds’ work away and could they actually afford it? Is loss and profit more important than innocent creatures? The reaction of the swineherds is to rush off to tell everyone what has happened and then many folk come to see the man, now clothed and rational, sitting with Jesus. Instead of being able to rejoice that so sick a person has been healed, Luke writes that they were afraid and asked Jesus to leave. Did the loss of the pigs matter more than the recovery of the man? Were the owners more concerned about their money rather than the animals? Were they afraid of the power Jesus showed or was it fear of further threats to their businesses?

However, at least one person benefits from this: Legion. As Jesus leaves, Legion asks to go with him, but Jesus tells him to go back home and tell everyone the good news of his healing. The account in Mark suggests that he did go back and amazed all who would listen to him so Legion is known by many today as the first Apostle to the Gentiles – an astonishing feat for one so unwell initially.

It may be that there have been times when we, or perhaps those around us, have endured and learned to manage mental health issues, been released from a burden that affects our wellbeing or had times of prolonged creativity and imagination like Heston Blumenthal. Perhaps, like Legion, we may have also been shunned by others, deprived of our liberty or shackled by what has happened to us or others. Is it possible, with hindsight, to realise that, like them, healing has taken place at some cost? As Jesus suggests to Legion, could we perhaps declare this more than we often do so that others may also hear that healing may be possible? 

With my prayers; pob bendith,

Christine, Priest Guardian.