Showing everything tagged as Revd Richard Carter

I have always loved this opening scene in John’s Gospel part of which we heard read today. Chapter one of John begins as we know, with the Prologue, that epic poem establishing the pre-existent Word at the very beginning of all things.

In the flower shops you can already buy yellow spring daffodils. But I never buy them in winter. Not because I don’t like them but because I believe deep down you have to go through the winter waiting before you can reach those yellow and golds of spring and appreciate them for what they are.

Have you ever met someone who you thought was holy or even a saint? Following this last week in British political and national life it seems hardly surprising that we have all grown a little wary of those who set themselves up as role models or representatives of virtue.

Last Monday we held an evening of Scriptural Reasoning in St Martin’s Hall. This is a tool for inter-faith dialogue as those from different faith communities come together to read and reflect on their scriptures.

When I reflected upon todays reading I realised there are plenty of things to say about what it means to give the Emperor those things due to the Emperor. But then I suppose it depends on who at this present moment you think the Emperor is.

There is a prayer that many of you will have read perhaps on cards you find in Cathedral gift shops, or on religious t-towels. It’s called the serenity prayer and it’s attributed to the American theologian Reinhold Niebuhr.