Lesson from Bartimaeus: Do not follow the crowd

Posted on October 29, 2024 by Hilda Vaughan

Mark 10:46-52 tells the story of Bartimaeus who was blind.  He heard Jesus passing and wanted to be healed. He called out but he was shushed by those around him. He shouted louder. Jesus heard him and called him. The persons then said take heart he is calling you. Bartimaeus threw off his coat sprang up and went to Jesus. Jesus asked him what did he want and he  answered to see.  

There is a lot to unpack in this story. There is the crowd’s response and Bartimaeus’ responses to the crowd and to Jesus. Are we blind too and in what ways?

The healing of Bartimaeus is the last healing recorded by Mark.  After Bartimaeus was healed he became a disciple of Jesus and went with him to Jerusalem. When Jesus does something good for us do we follow him closely or do we go back to our old ways till the next time we need healing or another favour?

There was a crowd around Bartimaeus and he was not conforming to what was expected of him.  He was making a noise wanting to be heard.  They thought he should shut up.  Do you think they thought he could not be helped? That Jesus would not notice him?   In 21st century Jamaica we would have done the same thing. We would have thought that he should shut up and keep in his space.  Who was he that he should be disturbing those around him.

I am reminded of the blind persons I used to see playing the accordion or harmonica and persons dropping coins in their pan. I wonder if that was something Bartimaeus would have done. For those who were shushing him, he was already broken, so what did he hope to accomplish with calling on Jesus.  He had no friends like the man who was let down through the roof in Luke.  He only had himself to rely on.   So Bartimaeus shouted louder.  He paid no attention to the crowd.  He knew what he wanted and went for it. 

Bartimaeus’ determination to be healed, to make better for himself is seen in his response to Jesus hearing him.  The passage says “And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart; get up, he is calling you. So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus”.  All of a sudden, the crowd notices Bartimaeus because Jesus a man of importance notices him.  Before he was a nobody, a person whose status was not important. Do we behave in a similar manner?  We keep others down instead of helping them up? We pay no attention to the little people around us. The physically challenged, the unfortunate, the ones who have been hit down by life and see no way of standing up again, those who eek out an existence dependent on the mercy of others to live.  

Maybe we feel that we are like Bartimaeus.  Hit down by life’s challenges and see no way out.  The people around us crowd us out.  They overshadow us and at every step of the way as we try to be noticed and stand on our feet, they shut us up. They keep us down instead of helping us.  But Bartimaeus was not deterred and we who feel that we have been marginalized and shushed should not either. 

The passage says Bartimaeus flung of his coat and sprang up. When he was called he rose to the occasion. Many times we are in a space where we feel handicapped but when called out to make a change we remain in the same space, because we are afraid of being that better person.  We believe the crowd and what they say about us. We never throw off our coat and come for healing.

Today is the day Jesus is calling you to come out of your little space into a larger one of abundant love and life, where opportunities abound. You just have to come and see.  Bartimaeus was bold in coming forward for healing and we too must be bold in coming to Jesus, to have our needs met. We must not be afraid of the crowd but boldly call out and affirm our right to dignity. We do so as the strength of God pilot us; the power of God preserve us; the wisdom of God instruct us; and the hand of God protect us. May the way of God direct us; the shield of God defend us and the host of God guard us against the snares of evil and the temptations of the world. Where God is all is well, all will be well. All manner of things will be well.

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Awakening to God’s signs: Seeing beyond the surface

Posted on October 25, 2024 by Hilda Vaughan

Jesus said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west you say immediately that it is going to rain–and so it does; and when you notice that the wind is blowing from the south you say that it is going to be hot–and so it is. You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky; why do you not know how to interpret the present time? Luke 12:54-56

Why don’t we know how to interpret the times?  The answer is simple.  We believe we are in charge of the outcome of our lives. We know what will happen and can adjust what will happen making it more convenient for ourselves.  Nuh true? The other possible reason is that we are so focused on the coming of Jesus at the end of time, we pay little attention to the livity of the present. Each of us making clear our path, but not helping others do the same.

We have no control over when or how it rains or if the wind comes as a soft breeze or hurricane force winds, so we pay attention. We live our lives around them.  

Jesus in this passage calls us to pay attention to all that is happening around us. There are things that impact or is going to impact us and we do not see it coming until it is up on us. We must pay attention.

We must pay attention by looking at all of life through the eyes of God. What is God saying to us, what is God doing, as we remind ourselves that God is in all things. God uses the things that touch our various senses to remind us that God is present, that God is here, that God is near.  God also has an expectation that as coheirs of the kingdom we will ensure that God’s justice and mercy is seen and felt in the world.

We must pay attention to see clearly God’s continuous providence and care of God’s creation and God’s people.  God is not distant from us. God did not make the world and leave it. God does not leave us either. God gave us the care of the created world and ourselves.  The last thing Jesus says in Matthew 28 is that he would be with us until the end of time. Just as we make provision to respond to the rain and wind – the physical things, we must at the same time see what is happening in other spheres of life and respond accordingly. Our response is not necessarily reactive as in the case of the wind and rain, but is protective and prophetic.  

 Jesus is calling us to respond in a manner that ensures that God’s law of loving God and neighbour as self is adhered to.  We look for signs of God’s activities in our personal lives, community and national affairs and help others understand what God is saying and how all of us are to respond.  God calls us to speak out against the injustices. We take corrective or mitigating action in the case of the wind and the rain. Our prophetic and protective action is also correcting and mitigating against the injustices as God points them out to us.  God did not put us here for our good looks. God did not give us money or talent for ourselves but to be used for and to the glory of God.  We become hypocrites when we see the injustices and prefer not to use our resources for corrective action.  “May the strength of God pilot us. May the power of God preserve us. May the wisdom of God instruct us. May the hand of God protect us. May the way of God direct us. May the shield of God defend us. May the host of God guard us against the snares of evil and the temptations of the world.” Where God is all is well all will be well. All manner of things will be well.

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Remember who we are: Preserve our Heritage and Identity

Posted on October 23, 2024 by Hilda Vaughan

Now keep this in mind: it was you, not your children, who saw and experienced firsthand all the lessons the Eternal your God taught you. So let what I’m saying sink deeply into your hearts and souls. Do whatever it takes to remember what I’m telling you: tie a reminder on your hand or put a reminder on your forehead where you’ll see it all the time, and on the doorpost where you cross the threshold or on the city gate.  Teach these things to your children. Talk about them when you’re sitting together in your home and when you’re walking together down the road. Make them the last thing you talk about before you go to bed and the first thing you talk about the next morning. Deuteronomy 11:2, 18-19 The Voice

We must look back. We must not forget. We must not forget what God has done.  It is in looking back that we can see where we are coming from. Looking back helps us to see the errors of our ways as a nation as a church and as individuals.  Looking back allows us to reframe and reset to a better way of thinking, new ways of understanding that best reflects our Jamaican context.  Looking back is not just about focusing on the regrets or misfortunes, but seeing the hand of God’s faithfulness through the years.

The passage says we must tell our children. We must recite what happened in the past over and over again.  I too believe it is important.  We have lost so much of our history. So much of who we are, is now subsumed in North American culture.  The handmade peppermint candy, Asham, Jackass Corn, have all been lost to Donuts and fancy cakes. What of Jonkonnu bands at Christmas. Do we even know where that came from? We don’t see them anymore.

We are forgetting who we are as a nation. When we do that we also lose our integrity, our substance and authenticity .  We pattern others whose heart, DNA foundation and culture may be similar but it is not ours.   We are therefore forgetting who God says we are and who we are to be. We must keep what is ours alive. We must not forget. We must teach our children.  We must carry a reminder at all times.  

The Israelites had a strong oral tradition.  Unlike today, only special people in their society wrote, so everything was passed by word of mouth.  They would recount the stories. Even today the religious Jews repeat the story of God’s deliverance from Egypt when the family sits for the Sabbath meal –  The Seder.

We need some of that remembrance in our lives as a nation – the recounting of the stories.  It is for this reason I defend the Maroons. I don’t know if what they say is true. Their strong oral history says one thing but the written laws of the British say another.  The British wrote from a place of privilege and brutal authority. Not only that! Who says that those who signed the treaty could read it?  Why is it so difficult to trust and respect the Maroon’s oral tradition as an authentic source of knowledge? Instead we who are now the privileged, side with them instead of believing that maybe, just maybe the Maroons could be right and that for Justice to be served they too need to be heard and their views acknowledged.

We must as a nation come to a consensus about who we are and move forward, understanding that all of us must move together. Only then can true liberation and autonomy take place. We must know who we are and where the hand of God is guiding.

Your hand, O God, has guided your flock from age to age;
your faithfulness is written on history’s open page.
Our fathers owned your goodness, and we their deeds record;
and both to this bear witness: one church, one faith, one Lord!

God’s mercy will not fail us nor leave God’s work undone;
with God’s right hand to help us the vict’ry shall be won.
And then by earth and heaven your name shall be adored;
and this shall be our anthem:
One love, One faith, One Heritage, One Lord!

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One Love, One People, One Heritage

Posted on October 21, 2024 by Hilda Vaughan

– There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28

Yesterday we celebrated National Heroes Day. We remember those who fought for freedom in Jamaica.  We do so amid talks about having one long weekend to celebrate Emancipation from Slavery and Independence as a free nation in one long weekend.  The theme for independence this year is One love to the world. For National Heroes Day, the theme is One Love, One People, One Heritage. We gained Independence in 1962 and the abolition of slavery occurred in1834 yet much of life remains the same despite the passage of time.  I recognize that we don’t like to talk about politics, sex, and different ways of understanding, but  as we seek to live out our Christian faith we must engage every facet of life ensuring that Godly principles reign. We are called to do as we seek to understand the complications of being free.  The mandate of citizens of Jamaica, the world and the kingdom of God remains the same.  The mandate is love. Love not only for those close by but also those far away. 

How do we love?

We love by remembering yesterday, living in love today and recognizing that tomorrow a new day is dawning, giving us more opportunity to love.  In one sentence we look back, we live to correct and we build in hope so future generations can benefit in love.  

National Heroes Day is a day when we recognize and appreciate that we don’t each live in isolation, but we live in a space where everything, the good the bad the ugly, is happening all at once and we must find a way of navigating all of them.  We must be open and in that openness exert our sovereignty and agency over ourselves. As a nation and a people we cannot allow others to tell us how to live. We cannot allow others to write our history. As Chinua Achebe – says “Until the lions learn to write the stories will glorify the hunter.”  The one with the upper hand, the one who has privilege on their side is always the one listened to. We cannot allow others to define how we love.

Living Love is living Galatians 3:28  When we are able to see others in this light, we are capable of true love not just for those close to us but to be able to say love to the world.

 Our culture is different from the Galatians, our way of life is different. Thus God intervenes and shows up differently from how God showed up in the roman empire of Paul. But God shows up in love and continues to say love neighbour as self.  On National Heroes Day that translates to loving Jamaica and being patriotic.  May we take seriously the National pledge as we say “Before God and all mankind we pledge the love and loyalty of our hearts so that Jamaica may play her part in advancing the welfare of the whole human race. May we do so as Christ surrounds us in his love. Christ be with us, Christ before us, Christ in us, Christ over us. May God’s saving grace be always ours this day and for evermore. Amen

Barrington Watson Out of Many One People (1962)

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Breaking the Chains of Modern Day Slavery

Posted on October 20, 2024 by Hilda Vaughan

Thursday was celebrated as International Antislavery Day. This was declared by a private bill in the UK’s parliament. We take time out to raise awareness on this global injustice as we remember those trapped in modern day slavery.

Marcus Garvey says and Bob Marley sings we must emancipated ourselves from mental slavery. We must also emancipate ourselves from other forms of slavery and seek to emancipate others. These days there are varied kinds of slavery. Slavery is defined as forced labour and forced marriages. Both still exist today.

The 2021 global statistics say nearly one of every 150 people in the world is enslaved. This is frightening. Modern slavery occurs in almost every country. Although not defined in law, it covers practices such as forced labour, debt bondage, forced marriage, human trafficking and situations of exploitation where a person cannot leave because of threats, violence, coercion, deception, and/or abuse of power. Race ethnicity culture and religion doesn’t matter. It is interesting that commercial sexual exploitation accounts for 63 per cent of all forced labour,

Globally 1 in every 10 children work, and almost one in every eight person in forced labour is a child. More than half of these children in forced labour are in commercial sexual exploitation. This problem may seem far removed from us, but that is not so. According to Walk Free Foundation in a population of 2.96M persons 22,000 Jamaicans are enslaved today. We who are called to free ourselves and others do very little about this situation. Jesus’ efforts on earth was about helping the vulnerable and giving them back their dignity. We understand that he came to save us as individuals, but conveniently forget that he saves others too. While we seek to always be in a constant relationship with him, we should as Jesus did enable others to live this same relationship. Jesus was an enabler of freedom and we should be too.

One way we can ensure that persons do not fall victim to slavery is providing as a nation good quality education. This is something the church can do with our many schools. But we as individuals must participate. We can’t stand on the sidelines like we are watching the football match we have to be in the match whether as defenders, forwards or the goal keeper. Lines men do not win matches only players do. So friends and colleagues, we must join the fight by 1st spreading the word. It takes nothing off us. We can then do something more, with the help of others. May God give us the strength to be bold enough to do something to advance the work in tearing down modern slavery.

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Speaking Truth with Love: A Call to Emotional and Spiritual Maturity

Posted on October 17, 2024 by Hilda Vaughan

We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,– Ephesians 4:14-15

How true is this passage in today’s world!   Persons are easily offended and would prefer to fool themselves rather than hear the truth. Many of us speak without thinking how what we say will be received. Truth is often diluted or couched so one has to read between the lines to understand what is being said. These days we even have alternate truth. Paul tells the Ephesians that they and by extension we are called to speak the truth clearly, yet with love and gentleness. We should know the poem called Desderata.  It says “Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story”. A lesson too many of us need to learn. Ephesians 4 reminds us that our words should reflect both honesty and grace. We spoke about grace as giving to others undeserved favour.  We cannot be dishonest and seek to twist words in an effort to get what we want and our words should be used to hurt others.

The passage comes from a chapter that begins and end with exhortations to forgive and love one another, striving for unity and balanced relationships. When we speak the truth without love, it can wound others and push them away. On the other hand, to not say what is true or to twist it is to depart from the foundation of God’s Word. This leads many times to compromise. Before you know it we have strayed and are wondering what has happened.  Paul encourages us to be balanced as we offer correction, encouragement, or wisdom. We must build our relations rather than tear down them down.

This requires emotional and spiritual maturity. Remembering that life is not always about us, but it is always about the greater good. Paul says we must grow. We are adults we should not behave like children. But this requires us to open ourselves to self-examination. To look at how we receive criticism and how we give criticism. To see where we are missing the mark. So telling and receiving truth in love is only reinforcing what we have already reflected on, what we already know about ourselves. We all know it hurts to hear it being said out loud. It is not an easy task to be vulnerable and to acknowledge when we are wrong and deficient. It is also not easy pointing out to somebody else something critical that they never noticed or chose not to notice. And we are called to be kind. We should consider how we would receive this same truth were we on the receiving end.  

To speak in love takes intentionality to grow spiritually and emotionally and to help others do the same. We need to go to God in prayer to help us. We need to talk to Jesus. Our words and actions must reflect our Christ-like nature.

May God give us grace enough to speak kindly at all times, and the wisdom to know how to share His truth with love and in love.  May Christ be with us, Christ before us, Christ in us, Christ over us. May God’s grace, be always ours as God’s Eternal Light, shine into our hearts, God’s eternal Goodness and God’s Eternal Power support us. that with all our heart and mind and soul and strength we may seek your face and be brought by God’s infinite mercy to God’s holy presence. Amen.

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Who are We in the Divine Scheme of Things

Posted on October 16, 2024 by Hilda Vaughan

What are humans that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them? Psalm 8:4

Who are we? Who are you? Do we truly know? We can look at this from so many different perspective, never agreeing on a single answer. When the psalmist asks, I do believe he is reflecting on the creation stories where God gives humans an important place in the scheme of life.  Humans have been given the task to care for themselves and the created world, ensuring its sustainability. 

However I ask this question many times when I experience the sudden death of someone I know well.  Here today and gone tomorrow.  We ponder what exactly is the purpose of life. I ask for different reasons from the psalmist.  I am given to thinking that each of us is made with a purpose in mind. Our purpose is through our lives others learn what to do and what not to do. We are examples and lessons to be learnt.  As we choose the ‘who’ we are to be, the lessons we share brings us closer to God. 

Have you ever considered that our various statements of faith speak to who God and Jesus are very clearly, but not humans. They reference Salvation, but not to humans.  Our various professions or should I say confessions of faith do not mention humans as the originators or patrons. Our purpose then while important may not be as significant as we think. It is not about us, but God and God’s divine plan. Our purpose is to fulfill that plan as God leads. Ours is the task to not compartmentalize or separate life into discrete areas, by thinking that some things are of God and others are ungodly. We have the responsibility to care for all. There is a common belief that some of us belong to God and others don’t. who we are in God’s sight then is dependent on our self esteem. If low, God cant love us, if high and egotistical its only us that God loves.

But it is that everything belongs. Life is life. God is God. Humans have many sides to them, – physical emotional spiritual but they work in tandem for the functioning of the whole persons.  The scientist, philosopher, psychologists all view humans differently.  But who we are as humans boil down to one thing, we are all children of God. Romans 8:14 ‘says, “for all who are led by the spirit of God are children of God.” Genesis 2 tells us that God spirit gave us the breath of life. If we are God’s children, then God cares very deeply what happens to each of us.  Who we see ourselves as though may be very different as we do not all acknowledge God as our creator and father. Humans are God’s children and God cares deeply for us.  As God’s children God has entrusted the care of the rest of the world to us.  We are not rulers over anything, but caretakers of ourselves and the rest of creation.  We each bear witness as unique individuals to a common life, created and orchestrated by God. May God enable us to be who God says we are.

May the strength of God pilot us. May the power of God preserve us. May the wisdom of God instruct us. May the hand of God protect us. May the way of God direct us. May the shield of God defend us. May the host of God guard us against the snares of evil and the temptations of the world. May Christ be with us, Christ before us, Christ in us, Christ over us. May your Salvation, 0 Lord, be always ours this day and for evermore. Amen.

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Restoring Our Salt: A Deeper Spiritual Experience

Posted on October 11, 2024 by Hilda Vaughan

“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything but is thrown out and trampled under foot. Matthew 5:13

Yesterday, I led the Commencement Service for Black River High School. It is a service where new students commit to being good school citizens and all levels of staff renew this commitment. The prefects head boy head girl and their deputies are pinned. A very meaningful ceremony for those who participated. The guest preacher used Matthew 5:13-16 as his text. As he spoke, it dawned on me that being the salt of the earth was not only about going and doing. It was not only about seasoning other persons. But, it was also about experiencing life at a deeper level. Its how we restore our saltiness. It seems all this time I had missed what it could mean for the salt to lose its savour.

Salt is used for so many things, but when you are the salt as you preserve foods, clean wounds, make pigtail, and salt beef nice, how does it feel to be salt. I have to be careful as when Jamaicans say you salt it means something completely different from what I am thinking about.

Lets just take one instance of being salt. As a foodie lets look at seasoning meat. This feeling of being a salt grain, being sprinkled on meat, dissolving in the juices or fluids of the meat, not only changes the meat but the salt itself is changed. It becomes more than it was before. In seasoning the meat it gives itself over to being changed as it changes the taste of the meat. That I think is something I missed in this verse.
It speaks to the change that should occur deep within us. It speaks to our baptismal liturgy where it says our created nature is changed so deeply that is as if we are being born. That is what being the salt of the earth is. It is losing yourself and finding it in the ways of God. It is giving of yourself completely to be used by God to change the world and bring God’s kingdom to reign.

Referring to us as salt, the salt loses its savour when it forgets what its true nature is supposed to be. The salt loses it savour when it tries to do more than it is able and so makes no difference to the taste of the meat. The salt loses its savour when it chooses to stop being salt.

As the salt of the earth, we must never forget our purpose. We must never forget that while we are carrying out this purpose, we too are called to have an inner experience of God. Just as our presence should bring joy, hope, and love to those around us. We are to live in such a way that we live that same joy hope and love. We cannot teach what we don’t know. As our actions and attitudes inspire others to experience the goodness of God. We are called to understand how the experience impacts our relationship with God and that we should be looking at our experience in such a way that we see how it leads us closer to God. Let us not just be busy making others experience our saltiness, but seek to enjoy the experience of being salt.

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God’s World of Possibilities Awaits You

Posted on October 10, 2024 by Hilda Vaughan

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” Matthew 7:7

Have you ever wanted something, but you were afraid to seek the help necessary to get it?

Jesus in this passage says there is no need to be afraid of inquiring. God will provide what you need. This sentiment is reflected all through the bible. In the beloved 23rd psalm it says “I shall not want”. Jesus in Matthew 7:7 reminds us that prayer, persistence, and faith are important disciplines in our spiritual journey.


Many times we ask, seek and knock, but what comes, is not what we expected, or envisioned and we reject what God has sent. It is like the man who was drowning and asked the Lord to save him. You all know the story, I am sure. A boat came, he did not take it, a helicopter came he did not take it a large ship came, he did not go on it either. When he died and went to heaven he asked God why God did not save him. God said I came for you three times and you rejected me.

Jesus encourages us to approach God with our needs and desires and we must be open to how God responds. We must be open to the possibilities. Les Brown says it is better to be prepared for an opportunity and not have one, than to have an opportunity and not be prepared. Preparedness speaks to an openness that in life which as the people say, any game can play. We must be open and read the game as we play so we respond appropriately. You know how it is, you are only sure of your responses as that anything else is outside of your control.


Ask, seek, and knock shows us progressively deepening our relationship with God. Each action is a deeper level of commitment and effort in our pursuit of divine connection.


Firstly asking is putting our desires into word in an open and honest way, acknowledging our dependence on God. In asking we also acknowledge our fears and insecurities, as well as our hopes. The possibilities lie in God who is always listening and who promises that if you ask you will receive.


Next as we seek we actively search for God’s presence and guidance in our lives. Seeking implies a desire to understand God’s will and to grow in our faith. To discern what God is saying in our varied experiences. As we do so we find God’s answer.
Knocking implies that we never give up. We are persistent and determination. But we must be willing to take bold steps and to not be discouraged. God’s grace and the door will eventually open to bigger and better things. All this time God never leaves us and we take comfort that we will receive God’s full blessing.
God’s promise of “it will be given to you”, “you will find”, and “it will be opened to you” reassures us of God’s faithfulness. God’s wants a good life for us. God wants us to feel blessed. God wants us to understand that our efforts in seeking Him are never in vain. But we have to be open to the possibility that how God responds, and how the promise unfolds may not be how we thought it would happen. Despite our disappointment, we have to trust God’s game plan and be prepared for all eventualities. We trust in God as as the strength of God pilots us. The power of God preserves us. the wisdom of God instructs us. the hand of God protects us. the way of God directs us; the shield of God defend us; the host of God guard us against the snares of evil and the temptations of the world. Where God is all is well all will be well all manner of things will be well.

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Embracing Fellowship as You Walk in the Light

Posted on October 9, 2024 by Hilda Vaughan

God is pure light undimmed by darkness of any kind. If we say we have an intimate connection with the Father, but we continue stumbling around in darkness then we are lying, because we do not live according to the truth. 1 John 1:5-6

John makes the point that in living in light we should have a deep knowledge of God.  In other translations it is translated as fellowship.   We must acknowledge who we are, our good and bad traits that helps us or hinders having true connectedness with God.   But our relationship is not only one directional between God and us. It is a 3 way relationship, because while we are in fellowship with God, we also have a relationship with Jesus and each other making a triangle – 3 sides and 3 points. Within the triangle you are always connected to a point by a side.  Thus, being close to each other is as important as being close to Jesus and God the creator, It helps us understand that walking in the light is an activity done in community with God and Jesus walking with us.  Being in community means you do not walk alone. You have journeying companions who gives us emotional and mental stability. When we open ourselves to having friends who look out for us, it gives us confidence and an assurance that all will be well.  We are better able to deal with the burdens and rigours of life when we have others to bounce ideas with, when we have someone to share our joys and sorrows with.

Our 3 pointed triangle while not a circle does give an understanding of connectedness and unity. Jesus in John 17 prayed that we would be one with him and the father as he and the father are one. This comes from knowing God deeply, loving God dearly, seeing God more clearly day by day. It also means living your God given life every day, no turning back. The song says “no man is an island no man stands alone.” We are dependent on others in so many ways.  God provides companionship directly and through others, as the strength of God pilots us. The power of God preserves us. the wisdom of God instructs us. the hand of God protects us. the way of God directs us. the shield of God defend us. May the host of God guard us against the snares of evil and the temptations of the world. Where God is all is well. All will be well. All manner of things will be well.

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