Tuesday, 6 January 2009

a dream


The trees sat squat in the hills. Bush branches grew towards their trunks, clutching the sky, as the Sun sank lazily within it. Mist began to rise from the freshly ploughed earth, gracing the rolling hills as it drifted. The earth was detoxing after the long hard season. The clouds were like a watercolour painting; a cheerful family ambled across the dampened fields in brightly coloured winter thermals, receive this Yuletide season. Everything around me was moving, and so was I.

A fire was lit by the side of a nearby house, the flames dancing, beckoning in a new year. In an instant, the world was enveloped in darkness. The tunnel dragged us in, and as it did, a world of memories was opened like a tin of beans; sound bounded around its container.


Light burst through the darkness of the carriage and we picked up the flow of the river, ever faster as we marched towards our destination. And then everything stopped. Suddenly the journey was interrupted. The station slowly pulled us in. We reached a halt. I received a text. I had left my sandwiches on the kitchen worktop.

Then nothing for ages, until the key hit the lock, twisting in it, the world rotating like drum in my washing machine. And now fresh snow sits on the lawn. It is poised for the suns of spring. What will this melting bring?

Friday, 12 December 2008

the aftermath of the cosmic bosh...



It's over. The work of another term is done, and the seven major projects, totalling more than 20,000 words are complete until I start again in late January 2009. It feels good to have finally reached the top of the mountain that is my third semester of theological study.

Over the past two weeks, I have noticed adrenalin knocking its way through my carefully mapped out schedule, forcing me to work at ridiculous hours of the morning, mostly because I could not sleep. Writing essays is a test of psychological as well as intellectual muscle, as I'm sure you can identify with. I've struggled on through, fighting "the wall". The worst thing is, just as you think you've crossed the line, then remember it needs a title page, stylistically correct footnotes and a detailed bibliography!

It's as if I were stumbling towards the top of the mountain, ring in hand, trying to avoid the enchantment gained from peering at its inscription. If essays are people then this one has definately been a conspirator. I set aside some time to work, and my laptop was locked away out of my reach for half a day. Then my only pen ran out. To cap it all, today I discovered that I had run out of plastic files to hand the essay in, in. And WH Smith had sold out. A divine conspiracy, some would say, but clearly someone in Ryman in the Arndale Shopping Centre likes me - I even managed to wangle student discount!

What puzzles me is the warring, aggressive spirit with which I have to approach essays in order to complete them. I don't understand it really, wish I did. The view of the painting is marvellous. I'm sure I "missed a bit". Thankfully his grace is sufficient for my mistakes. He sees the bigger picture; a busy market relaxing after a long day's trade. The storeholders are exhausted, the shoppers are ready to drop; I'm off to relax for a bit

Thursday, 4 December 2008

eye in the sky


This evening my studies were disturbed by blue flashing lights and sirens. It was no revelation from God! Rather, as I struggled with the question of pre-existence, I noticed a helicopter was circling the bottom half of the estate where I lived. I was intrigued. From 30 minutes to an hour, the chopper engaged in a circular route around my house. I stopped working and gazed out my window for a few minutes, hoping I would get to see a chase. It passed off with a dissappointing finale, back at the dead end dilemma of whether or not Jesus existed before time.

Do you ever feel as if you are being watched? Sometimes this is exactly my fear. Don't be afraid! Embrace the reality that you are wonderfully and intimately known by someone so compassionate it would blow your mind if you realised how good he is.