We’re going away for a few days. I’ve been amused by the number of people who when we’ve said, ‘We’re going on holiday’, have replied ‘Are you going anywhere nice?’ I guess the answer could be. ‘No. We’re going to a terrible place that we hate.’
‘Hope you have a nice time,’ they conclude. I hope we’ll have a nice time in a nice place. It’s the hope of niceness.
Yesterday the English Lionesses defeated Australia 3-1 in the world cup semi-finals. We heard about Australian ‘Matilda-Mania’… saw good football… enjoyed local Norfolk girl Lauren Hemp scoring our second goal.
There were pictures of the Lionesses celebrating. Now the team are under orders to rest and prepare for Sunday’s final against Spain. Reports talk about ‘the hopes of the nation’. It’s the hope of victory.
Yesterday we went to Michelle’s funeral. We’ve known Michelle for many years. Her family are friends – part of our church. We reflected on her life… the sad bits – ‘the prodigal daughter’, the brain tumour… the good bits – her finding faith, her son Mark…
Danny spoke about Christian hope, the confident expectation of good, ‘nothing can separate us from the love of God’. He recalled Jesus’ stories of the lost sheep, the lost coin, the lost son… each were waiting, hoping to be found. It’s the hope of ‘foundness’.
It’s a new word I’ve invented…
The addict who’s lost her way, sorts her life out, discovering purpose, direction – and foundness. The single man who longs for love finally finds a soul-mate; he’s enjoying foundness. Michelle, the prodigal daughter, discovers faith and foundness.
We sung Michelle’s baptism hymn – ‘Make Me A Channel Of Your Peace’, based on the prayer of St Francis. It concludes:
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned
In giving to all men that we receive
And in dying that we’re born into eternal life
In the mystery of faith, together with Michelle, we discover the hope of foundness in pardoning, giving and dying…
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