Posts to appear on the Daily Inspiration page/in the daily inspiration feed
‘Love each other dearly always. There is scarcely anything else in the world but that: to love one another.’ So says Jean Valjean on his deathbed to Marius and Cosette, in Victor Hugo’s great novel Les Miserables. It’s a clear re-enactment of this scene in the gospels, as the hero, facing his own death, passes a … Read more
Following yesterday’s sermon, a reflection from the passage in John we looked at yesterday: I love food. I won’t pretend otherwise. And all food, really. I can derive as much pleasure from cheese and beans on toast as from an expensive meal or an exquisite dessert. Not that I’ll refuse the latter if you ever … Read more
Following yesterday’s reflection on Judas, we end this week going back to the Psalm which Jesus quotes: When I was a teenager my uncle taught me how to shake hands. He’s a businessman and he said to me: ‘You’ve got to grip tight, Matt, so that people know you’re strong.’ His handshake used to stop … Read more
Today we come to one of the most sobering stories in scripture – Jesus’ betrayal by Judas Iscariot. The story is so famous it has entered our culture: we still use the name ‘Judas’ as a generic term for betrayal. Indeed, the identification of Judas with betrayal is so strong that the two other ‘good’ … Read more
Over the years, I have taken part in a few foot-washing ceremonies – both as the washer and the one being washed. Without doubt, they are some of the most powerful and moving spiritual experiences I’ve had. I still remember my first such experience, many years ago. The pastors at our church were offering it … Read more
Many religions have washing rituals. We need water to make us physically clean – but water has often come to symbolise something deeper. Think of the millions who gather by the shore of the River Ganges each year for the famous Kumbh Mela ritual. Or the Mikveh bathing rituals which are an important part of … Read more
If you’ve ever worked in the corporate world or in business, you’ll hear about succession planning: the way that leaders prepare to hand over power and responsibility after they’ve left, in particular by nurturing leaders to succeed them. It’s not a new idea – apparently Genghis Khan did something similar 800 years ago, involving his … Read more
A brief break from John, to commemorate Candlemas – ‘the presentation of Christ in the temple’ – which is today: I love this story. I make no apologies for taking a brief pause to include it in this week’s Inspirations. Simeon has got to be one of my favourite characters in the Bible. He only … Read more
The Trinity is an eternal mystery – God who is three-in-one and one-in-three, perfect unity and also perfect community: Father, Son and Spirit. They are all equally God, but they also have different roles or functions as part of the Godhead. Today’s passage is a case in point. Jesus is the complete and representation of … Read more
If you want to know exactly what God is like, look at Jesus. Such has been the conclusion of church leaders and scholars down the centuries. For example, Archbishop Michael Ramsey famously declared: ‘God is Christlike, and in him is no un-Christlikeness at all.’ But this is not one of those statements that has been fathomed out … Read more