Mending the Fractured; Achieving the Impossible

On Saturday…

The Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris re-opened. In April 2019 fire destroyed it. There followed the £800m reconstruction involving 2,000 craftsmen. We saw the ceremony in the magnificent reconstructed cathedral.

World leaders assembled… Prince William, Donald Trump, Volodymyr Zelensky… President Emmanuel Macron said that Notre-Dame was a symbol of fraternity that a fractured world would do well to emulate: ‘We have rediscovered what great nations can do: achieve the impossible. This cathedral is a happy metaphor for what a nation is and what the world should be.’

If only mending our fractured world – represented by William, Trump, Zelensky and Macron – were that simple.

Yesterday…

…I caught up with church friends dealing with fractured lives. Conversations about… hospital visits – a biopsy, a colonoscopy, fears… funerals – bereavement, family responsibilities, an uncertain future… living alone – loneliness, no family, Christmas…

…Sammy described her new job with BEAT, a UK eating disorder charity. Their website states: ‘We share the vision of an end to the pain and suffering caused by eating disorders. We are inspired by the people we serve, by the difference we can make, and by our commitment to each other.’

1.25 million people in the UK suffering from eating disorders… all ages, genders and backgrounds… Fractured lives; a charity seeking to achieve the apparently impossible.

…I read a Peter Meadows article about Tony Campolo, who died earlier this year: ‘He reminded audiences of the 2000 Bible verses calling for the care of the poor and oppressed. And he posed uncomfortable questions such as: ‘If Jesus had $40,000 and children were starving, what kind of car would he buy?’’

…In church we read about Jesus coming to be the ‘Prince of peace’. This morning I read of the Jesus bringing peace and unity by destroying walls of hostilities that divide people.

Political leaders trying to mend international fractures; good people like Sammy working to mend the individually fractured; the Christmas message, Jesus mending the fractured, achieving the impossible.