Rock, Paper, Scissors

We’ve all played ‘rock, paper, scissors’… the out stretched hand creating one or other… rock beats scissors, scissors beats paper, paper beats rock…

For two years now we’ve been playing this game with covid… vaccinations beats covid, covid beats unvaccinated people… keeping the rules beats covid, Downing Street parties beats the rules…

Covid’s rock, paper, scissors.

Our journey home on Saturday went well: hotel – kind lift from nephew-Joel – Pontault-Combault – train – Paris – Eurostar – London St Pancras – underground – London Liverpool Street – train – Colchester – bus-replacement service – Ipswich – train – nearly-Lowestoft…

About a mile from Lowestoft the train stopped. There was an announcement: ‘Sorry for the delay. There is an unidentified obstruction on the line.’ The train edged forward and stopped again. Folks with high-viz jackets walked beside the train.

More apologetic announcements. I imagined… a dead cat, an abandoned car, a drunken celebration… The train edged forward… stopped again… edged forward… eventually we reached Lowestoft. Apparently we ran over a black wheelie-bin.

This morning I see that the Lowestoft-Norwich train-line is closed today due to flooding… Train beats wheelie-bin, flood beats train…

Train’s rock, paper, scissors.

I’m reading ‘Gentle and Lowly’ by Dane Ortlund. He describes the old Jewish law: ‘…when an unclean person comes into contact with a clean person then that clean person becomes unclean. Moral dirtiness is contagious.’ Unclean beats clean.

When Jesus came to the prostitutes and lepers he moved towards them with compassion. ‘He was reversing the Jewish system. When Jesus the Clean One touched the unclean sinner, Christ did not become unclean. The sinner became clean.’ Clean Jesus beats unclean.

Jesus’ rock, paper, scissors.

Musing… the people I shall meet, the conversations I shall have today. My influence on others, the influence others have on me… will good beat bad, or bad beat good?

Will generosity beat selfishness or selfishness beat generosity… joy or grumpiness… grumbling or gratitude… criticism or encouragement… anger or acceptance… rejection or welcome… mercy or justice…

My rock, paper, scissors today.