Here I Stand. I Can Do No Other.

In our loft I discovered a box of books, untouched for thirty years, including ‘Martin Luther’ by Theodore Kleinhans.

This German theologian, priest, monk, and professor, challenged the Roman Catholic Church. In 1521 he was called to recant his beliefs; if he refused, he could be burned at the stake as a heretic.

In his famous speech, in the city of Worms , with clarity and certainty Luther stated: ‘I neither can nor will retract anything; for it cannot be either safe or honest for a Christian to speak against his conscience. Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me.’

On Saturday we went  Des and Mel’s wedding, a wonderfully charming, relaxed, non-traditional occasion. Des had Karen as his best woman, Mel wore black…

Des and Mel made the traditional marriage promises: ’To have and to hold from this day forward, For better, for worse, For richer, for poorer, In sickness and in health, Forsaking all others, To love and to cherish, Until death do us part.’

Later, at the reception, they put these promises into their own words in touching, heart-felt speeches. I love you… I don’t know what life has in store for us… whatever happens I promise I will stay with you…

Here I stand. I can do no other.

Yesterday’s uncertainties included… distressing pictures from Gaza… Prime Minister Sunak’s reshuffled cabinet… Ben Knapper’s appointment as Norwich City’s new sporting director…

…news of one friend in our local hospital’s cardiac unit …visiting another friend, diagnosed with vascular dementia.

Where’s my ‘Here I stand’?

At the wedding Tom read 1 Corinthians 13, that concludes: ‘Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a cloudy mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete… Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.’

Certainty in uncertainty… Luther’s beliefs… Des’s love… ‘Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me.’