The Cry of dispossession

Road upgrade! Progress proceeds.. Trees destroyed.
Then came the cries .. of two brown goshawks - 2 year olds - male and female .... no tree=no home. No Home! Call emergency! Wake up! The Homeless are crying ... for home and for justice.

They circle and cry .. for two weeks.
Dispossession .. no compensation.
Eventually they found a new home, we think.
They have chosen to stay in the area.

Here the suddenness of dispossession is so confronting.
Warnings were made that suffering would occur but progress over rode such warnings.
Progress involves cost .... borne by others .. so it's ok!

Teach us to Pray

"Our Father in Heaven
Hallowed be Your Name
Your Kingdom Come
Your Will be done
on earth as it is in Heaven
Give us this day our daily bread
And forgive us our debts
as we also have forgiven our debtors
And do not bring us to trial,
but rescue us from the evil one"

This prayer is directly followed by the comment.
"For if you forgive others their trespasses,
your Heavenly Father will also forgive you;
but if you don't forgive others,
neither will your Father forgive your trespasses"

These words are part of a passage in the Gospel of Matthew 6: 5 - 15
Prayer is not for show, and nor is prayer valued for many words.

The reason for opening this post is to focus on the importance of this prayer as the alternative to the Ten Commandments among members of the New Covenant. It has far more significance for us than simply a word to be repeated each Sunday. I include this post among JOURNEYS WELL TROD because it is for the new Journey we make which ought to be "well trod"

Bishop Tom Wright has an article "The Lord's Prayer as a Paradigm of Christian Prayer" cf www.ntwrightpage.com which ought to be found and read in association with this post.

If the reference to debtors relates to the Torah principles of Jubilee and Seven year limits on debt then most Christians have to seriously review our understanding of loans and debt.

FOUR CRIES .. then mine.

Community Nurse of four years,
Appointed in house,
Doors should open.
Entered one house once!
Doors remained closed.


Muffled cry not heard.
Only five weeks old
Her cover a blanket,
Then came the weight,
One last cry.

Parents of the babe,
Return home drunk.
Drag their mattress onto floor,
collapse to sleep.
Next day tragic discovery.

Elder, beyond tears.
Heard and seen this before.
Another loss.
Stays with day's plan.
Press on - this will happen again.

This elder had invited me to visit special sites ... a great privilege.
Her cries were there ... they would be heard late at night as she remembers so many similar tragedies. I found all four reasons to cry. So easy for anger and judgement to arise. They are some of the emotions and responses for such matters but only some.