9th November 2025
I’ve had an interesting time since arriving back at Heathrow. I waited at the airport for my luggage to arrive. It didn’t for a long time. When it did arrive, it was not on the carousel the sign was broadcasting. While I waited, I thought I’d better get my car keys ready. I opened my backpack to the usual place. Slightly surprised, I searched the adjacent pockets. Still nothing. More curious now, I went through the whole backpack and then emptied the backpack – those pesky keys surely were now deliberately hiding and snickering at me?! It was only when I started thinking about the car that I realised I didn’t have the keys! The car parking company needed them to bring me my car! Doh!
I was driving home from the airport via visiting my granddaughter who had just arrived in the world. (Of course, I wanted a cuddle!) I know my way home but I didn’t know that the motorway was closed for roadworks. The redirected route added 30 minutes to the journey! Sigh!
I went to London on Tuesday via public transport. However the train and the line I was to use had just had an incident and there would be delays. The train staff helped me with an alternate route but I was late to my meeting. On the way home – I’m not a London local! – I caught the bus to the tube. I was on the right bus but going the wrong way! By the time I got to Kings Cross many trains were cancelled and my journey was much longer and more crowded but I had a fascinating conversation with a fellow who really hopes that there is post death salvation for those who reject Jesus. He wanted my thoughts and I told him. He heard my reasoning and Scripture and theology that such a hope is probably universalism and agreed in his head that I was making sense but his heart didn’t want to agree. Of course, we can understand his concern for his non Christian loved ones!
The planning for the civic remembrance services are well underway as I write. If things go according to plan, the ceremonies today and on Tuesday will go smoothly – reverently – focusing on sacrifice rather than triumphalism. I was contacted about an idea of placing crosses to honour the fallen in the ceremony. By my calculation this would add nearly 30 minutes but after talking about options, we came up with a good option to honour the fallen while not increasing the service time.
And I’m not even going to start talking about the ELCE Synod! (Yes, there are still things to do!)
How has your week been?
My guess is that you will be able to tell of the times when things went well and when they didn’t go as you’d planned. You could share good moments between people and the times people and situations frustrated you. If you wanted to, you could talk about when you did well and also when you didn’t do well – accidentally, forgetfully, deliberately, sinfully.
And in the stuff of each day – when we’re in public – and when we’re more in our own heads – how we frame things is important. Is the world out to get me? Why won’t things go right for me? Such can be questions asked. When I was in The Philippines I was chatting to a very long serving missionary in Asia who in the last few years is increasingly being observed by police and from time to time taken in for questioning. (She’s always released – she’s been there so long – everyone knows her and what she’s doing.) I asked her how she felt about the increasing ‘arrests’ and she said, “Well, I can’t control what they do but I do relax and watch and think, “Ok, Jesus, what are you going to do now?”. And I smiled with her and thought, “That’s a good thought for every day!”.
GS