Standing in the shopping mall, those tomb-side words on that chill first Easter morning came to me, “They have stolen Him away and we don’t know where they have put Him”, words true for most contemporary Australians. But worse, society’s degraded state of spiritual desiccation is now so far advanced that most don’t even know there has been a theft!
Pondering on this cultural collage, it occurred to me that it was a perfect reminder of the West’s descent into the neo pagan Vacuum formed by the retreat of Christianity from 21st century society.
Standing in the shopping mall, those tomb-side words on that chill first Easter morning came to me, “They have stolen Him away and we don’t know where they have put Him”, words true for most contemporary Australians. But worse, society’s degraded state of spiritual desiccation is now so far advanced that most don’t even know there has been a theft!
‘He is stolen, and it is not harmless!’ _____________ I entered the large shopping complex and there He was, front, centre and large, enthroned in his palace. There He was, ‘the reason for the season’. The One who is always encouraging the children to come to him, and woe betide anyone who want to … Continue reading Once More We See the Stealing of Christmas
It is the first Sunday of the new year; Christmas 21 is now a fading image in the rear-view mirror of time’s flow. Churches ‘were packed’ according to a Channel Nine news report. Except that while some were, many were not, as a little enquiry will reveal. In any case, it has been my experience … Continue reading A ‘Remnant’ – Yet Pretending Not to Be
It’s Christmas morning, early. The Cicadas swarm the Eucalypts and their chorus is already very loud. They are joined by Kookaburras, Koels, Friar Birds and even carolling Magpies. It is as if the whole of nature is praising God on this special morning. One of the images that often comes to my mind on this … Continue reading The Thinnest Place
It is 46 years since Cyclone Tracy hit the northern Australian city of Darwin, on that fateful Christmas Eve in 1974. I always remember that event at Christmas time because it was that storm that brought us to Australia in the first place, to work on the reconstruction of Darwin. On that night, the Christmas … Continue reading The Eye of Peace
‘He is stolen and it is not harmless!’ _____________ I entered the large shopping complex and there He was, front, centre and large, enthroned in his palace. There He was, ‘the reason for the season’. The One who is always encouraging the children to come to him, and woe betide anyone who want to … Continue reading ‘The Stealing of Christmas’ Revisited
Christmas Dawn - A Hush Even the Birds are silent – Awe A Hush except for a Clock – Ticking Ticking away Time – Created Counting out our lives – 'Finite' Between Eternity and Eternity -a Mist But this morn the ‘Finite’ awaits- The ‘Infinite’ comes Comes to a Manger - for a Cross Comes … Continue reading The Infinite Comes
One well known Christmas Carol ‘God rest ye merry Gentlemen’ contains the phrase ‘Tidings of Comfort and Joy’ , words that are a more traditional rendering of the Angel’s words to the shepherds on the Judean hills of ‘Good news that will cause great Joy’ in Luke 2:10. It occurs to me that the original meaning … Continue reading Remember the Seven Thousand
